This summer we learned
lessons in hydrology—
the continuous
movement of water,
the lateral systems
rain overwhelms,
the way precipitation
far off translates
into weeks of overflow.
Ephemeral streams,
flood pulses, meanders.
How this language
of interconnection
and divergence
teaches patterns
about what little
we control.
Charlotte Melin
Charlotte Melin, a retired professor, lives in Northfield, Minnesota and has pivoted to writing poetry. She has published widely about German poetry, teaching, and the environmental humanities.