Author’s note: I wrote this poem after noticing the dryness of our area. It was the last weeks of spring, and we had a good amount of rain for this time of year. My daughters and I have been taking evening walks on the local high school track in my community. I live on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, the original homelands of the Eastern Shoshone people and the relocation of the Northern Arapaho people. The mountains are west and northwest of us; to our north and east is the school’s cross-country field and houses in the community. Just below where we walk is a ditch. I have noticed the grass is usually dry in this area and attribute that to the mountainous terrain of the foothills that aren’t far. There are greener grassy areas but the grass that I’ve noticed reminded me of needles.
-Andra Hawk-Valdez
The Needles In My Path
There upon the earth, the ground is dry and cracked.
The grass that should be green is gold and yellow-tinged, dry, and sharp.
The breeze is cool and blows the needles across my path.
Should the grass be barren if these are the foothills that lead to the mountain?
The mountains look lavish and snow-capped, you can feel that crisp cool air in the breeze.
The sound of rushing raging water flows in the ditch below.
The air feels clean, but you can smell hints of the rotted earth from the winter that has passed.
The mountains are powerful and majestic. The sun’s rays stream through the soft clouds above, like beams of promise. This beauty is intended for eyes like mine,
As the sun passes through mountains and lays to rest.
The evening star in the distance begins to twinkle faintly but not for long.
The birds hurriedly rush here and there, before night comes, catching the bugs and insects in their sights.
The earth takes a big sigh as the time passes, hoping for growth of all that she offers, for seeds to bloom and flourish, to regenerate in her presence, because she is their domain.
The grasses blow across my path, dry and brittle, with nowhere to go as if unwanted.
Running track at sunset on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. Credit: Andra Hawk-Valdez.
Drought in Wyoming
Vegetation Drought Response Index (VegDRI) map of Wyoming showing location of Wind River Reservation. By August 2024, the vegetation condition across much of Wyoming was showing signs of moderate to severe drought. Credit: National Drought Mitigation Center.
Dry grasses on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. Credit: Andra Hawk-Valdez.