Tundra Saguaro
I don't think the kids believe me
when I tell them of the old days
before tundra saguaro
we ate blue berries
the size of marbles
so sweet
salmon in the rivers
fat, thick as your leg
tundra, then a sponge
soak your shoes
drench your socks
slurping noises with each step
now the earth crackles
beneath our feet
like our lips
now, new survival lessons
open the cactus for hydration
eat the fruit in fall
before the starving bears
become drunk from fermentation
when lost, the wide ribs
face north, or pull a spine
float the needle in water
if you can find some
the tip will face north
everything faces north
the kids ask about snow
a dream now
it covered everything,
I tell them
their doubt burns
with the sun
[April 1st, 2023 -- #1 poetry month challenge ]