A bank that contains the river
that understands the river
that tries to keep it

from becoming itself

until the river gets tired
so tired holding itself
together

every day
the same damned thing
until it wants to break

everything

And after

it slips back to where it had been leaving
a broken house that thought it was a home
the stunned wife children in tears
and the one they all loved

lying still
as a tree
on the lawn

after barking
all night long
all night long