flood

it rained for days,
then weeks, months,
the stream rose and
flooded the streets,
there were no birds
in the sky, no dogs
roaming the parks,
the rain fell hard,
it pummeled the roof
tops, the cars, the
windows. the wind
made it fierce, and
it seemed as if it
would never end, that
there was no sun,
no blue sky behind
it all. no one
ventured out into
the rain, they ate
what they had on
the shelves, drank
all the liquor,
listened to the news,
wondering when it
would all stop.
but it didn't stop.
it kept coming,
and the houses
began to float away,
no babies were born,
entire towns were
swept into the
ocean, buildings
that had been there
for a hundred years
crumbled into the
soft ground. there
was a sudden outburst
of religion,
those who felt guilty
confessed, repented,
and those who felt
righteous blamed
the sinners for the
rain, for the flood.
it didn't matter,
the rain kept coming,
it filled the cities,
all of the flat
land as far as the eye
could see until
there was no more.