Water Poem by Leo Yankevich

Burnt Sudanese earth under claw,
a vulture waits three steps behind
a girl who crouches, strands of straw
beneath her lowered head, her mind

in refuge on the dream-kissed shores
of an oasis, where green palm
leaves shade black brows, and water pours
into a pool that’s bright but calm.

A flame-tree sheds no grief, instead
droops in the backdrop. A stump lies
resembling a lion’s head
still warding off the thirst of flies.