Land of No Bumps

We don't expect bumps here
this is an ancient lakebed
where someone's ancestors
feared the goddess Cahuilla
who may rise to reckon back
her waters, but no bumps.

If a mark in the terrain
appears, we slam the brakes
for the vehicles through the
years have flattened into
sleds, hovercrafts, skiffs.
We didn't bleed in the

first two wars to have
bumps in our traffic. The
naiades tossing their hair
in grief smoothed the sands;
their sorrow did not broom
to be stuck in ditches.