There was a lot of gathering going on in southern Alberta this past weekend.
With rivers and creeks in flood, fed by torrential rains, many people were gathering their belongings and seeking higher ground. Others were gathering stock and gathering their wits about them for the challenges of post-flood cleanup.
At the Gathering of 2005 in Pincher Creek, one long day of rain was supplanted by two more of puddle jumping that allowed cowboy poets, musicians and spectators to enjoy a western tradition.
The poetry at this gathering tends to revolve around simple topics – western heritage and the basic pursuits that engage prairie farmers and ranchers.
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The poetry itself, however, is deceptively simple.The cowboy poet laureates (or perhaps they call them poet lariats?) bring talents that can inspire those of lesser skill.
With that in mind, here is an amateur tribute to the craft and to the weather.
The Flood of 2005
I had a little rain gauge and nothing could it measure
It stayed so dry that in its bowl the spiders spun their treasures.
In May, the floodgates opened up and my little gauge revived
I emptied it many times into the flood of two thousand and five.
Near prairie wide the rain did fall, farm folk they saw cloud cover
And as the hours turned into days, rivers creeks and ponds ran over.
The fields were seeded, barely, and instead of plants, showed muck.
The low spots filled with water and a pond for every duck.
The crops that stuck their noses out under weathered skies so mean
They paled beneath the cloudy dome and turned sickly shades of green.
Flood alerts and water news went out through every medium.
By now the rain gauge empty time was a task with naught but tedium.
There’s no denying damage caused some folks real angst and ruin.
But ranchers had not much to say about plentiful rains in June.
The sun will come out as always, and touch the wild flowers,
Boost the grass and grow the grain; impress all with its powers.
The ranchers will see the cattle graze; their coats grow sleek and shiny
Compared to drought, flood problems pale, although they are not tiny.
Days of cloud seem dark and dreary but let’s think before we rage –
If we didn’t want the rain sometimes, why do we have the gauge?
