By Richard Wallace

The Trickle – 1982

Slowly

the water trickled down the street,

a single trickle, I watched it from the curb.

***

Slowly

the water trickled around and in and out,

and about the pedestrians.

***

I watched it from the curb.

It was very interesting.

***

I watched the water grow into small puddles

that grew and grew.

***

Everybody laughed.

***

I watched them and the small puddles

grew and grew.

***

They grew larger and everybody

laughed and laughed.

***

Small children laughed and splashed.

Everybody was having a very gay time.

***

Slowly

the trickle continued, ever so slowly,

as though  it was

enjoying the happy scene.

***

I think it did.

***

Before long the street was covered.

***

Everybody laughed and splashed.

Everybody was having a very gay time.

***

I watched it all from the top of a car.

It was very interesting.

***

I watched and watched.

***

The fire department came and

the firemen laughed and splashed.

***

The police department came and

the policemen laughed and splashed.

***

A doctor came and

the doctor laughed and splashed.

***

Everybody laughing and splashing,

a very gay time.

***

I watched it all from the limb of a tree

and it was very interesting.

***

Still,

The trickle continued to flow.

It flowed along the street and through a

hedge, over a lawn and into some back yards.

***

I could see it.

***

It was as though it was incased

in a green garden hose, but it wasn’t.

***

The trickle knew I knew

and the puddles grew.

***

Bit now a puddle, a single puddle,

got deeper

and deeper

and deeper.

***

It covered the curb

and the knees of some of the children.

It rose to the chest of a midget.

***

But still,

Most laughed and splashed

and most were having a very gay time.

***

The trickle knew I knew

and the puddle grew.

***

The firemen became concerned.

The policemen became concerned.

The doctor became concerned

and some of the pedestrians too.

***

The children were put on the shoulders

of their parents

or

who ever was near by.

Soon all of the shoulders were taken.

***

Still,

the children laughed and

were having a very gay time.

***

But,

a few of the children didn’t like it

and the midget didn’t like it at all.

***

And slowly,

so slowly,

the water covered the midget.

It covered a car parked on the street.

It covered the firemen and the policemen.

It covered the doctor and the pedestrians.

It covered most of the children.

***

I watched all of this

from the roof of the local hospital.

I was sitting beside a loud speaker.

***

The trickle knew I knew.

***

There were people jumping up and down.

***

The water was clear, clearer than glass,

A shimmering clear,

as though it wasn’t there at all,

but it was.

***

By now all of the adults

were under the water

as were most of the children.

***

Everybody was naked

And every body was the same.

***

They were jumping up and down.

They were holding the children,

They were all jumping up and down.

They were trying to save the children.

***

Every body was calm

serene

expressionless

***

I watched as I stood beside the loud speaker.

It was very interesting.

***

Everybody was naked

and every body was the same.

***

And then,

Somebody announced

over the loud speaker….

***

A baby had died.

Photo credit M Bell

Short Story: The Trickle