Vellum

Autocorrect

Mum asked me to ‘water the plains’ in a text

and I can’t stop imagining myself with a watering can

out on the Atacama salt plains under the stars.

I text back, ‘yes,’ empty my can,

and I set off for the barge with

my trowel in hand.

I scale rocky crags. I fall.

I get up. I wade through a river of ice,

lifting the can over my head.

I’m afraid to get it wet.

I fight off a pack of mountain lions,

waving my trowel at them.

Then I get there, where,

finally,

no one can hear me,

and then I just

start

pouring.