Nothing Stays Hidden Forever
A Poem
The lake will be dredged,
drained, and cleansed
and suddenly we all will bear witness
to the discarding of secrets
that we thought it would keep.
Where things disappeared
regardless if we lost them,
or if we forgot them or left them.
They are gone, just the same.
Until . . . they dredge the lake.
The pit in my stomach rises.
There is mud on my boots and dirt on my hands,
debating
if I could survive the tide?
I play it cool and just dip my toes.
Small talk fills the space, about
how the swamp has angry trees,
all contorted and twisted over
like a gate before a door.
Then we see it . . . we all see it.
The wharf between the worlds.
As they start the machines
the power flickers out.
A sign of what is to come, an omen.
The lake will be dredged.
Time was the only contestant.
Now we all stand frozen,
watching the earth dispel the past
back onto shore, naked and exposed
for everyone to see.
We all have something buried in that lake,
something to lose, something to hide
something more than we are willing to admit.
Who knew, one day they would dredge the lake.
© 2021 Niki Madore
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