Endangered Fringed Prairie Orchid Count June 2017

ENDANGERED FRINGED PRAIRIE ORCHID COUNT JUNE 2017

Not black, not white, it was grey
The spiral wind
Sucked in debris

Rippled back and forth
Until it threw a metal rod into the back of my hand
And shattered

The hand that sheltered my eyes from the blinding sun
That covered my mouth before the heat took my breath away 
That covered my heart for my pledge of allegiance
That said no

It was grey
A spiral wind
Fueled by heat that crept up slowly
Left prairies dry
Unable to grow even a prairie orchid

I know because I walked that prairie
With my broken hand
Counting
Hoping there were some left
As the heat rose year by year
As the farmers drained the lakes to plow
And used drought-resistant seed
Because they knew

As that drive line wind knew
When it crossed the lake
And slapped the back of my hand with that driven metal rod

So I would listen

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