Katherine Hoerth

At Lewis and Clark Landing Katherine Hoerth

Another perfect April afternoon along the river: spring is in full bloom, the marigolds show off their amber hues in flowerboxes, patches of fresh-laid sod shimmer with an embarrassment of green. Young catalpas planted in a row along the loamy shoreline settle in—ideal for their shallow roots and fragrant flowers.

A toddler races to the brand-new sandbox with a shovel in her hand. She’ll dig perhaps to China, fill her pail with earth. A swing set moans as someone breaks it in. The jungle gym, with wet paint, sits untouched.

The Missouri river lazes on through the season as it has for eons, before it had this name, before it carved this landing place of history and lead. Beneath the thin veneer of peace, what lies? A foot of clay, a superfund, the bones of the past. We’ve covered up such darkness here. We pray our children never dig too deep.

Katherine Hoerth is the author of five poetry collections, including the forthcoming Flare Stacks in Full Bloom (Texas Review Press, 2021). She is an assistant professor at Lamar University and editor of Lamar University Literary Press. Her writing interests include eco-poetry, feminism, and formalism. She is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters and lives near Houston.