Cowboys for Rain

The cowboys arrived during the drought.

They wore boots growing moss and wildflowers.

They carried lassos made of garden hoses and rode their bicycles into the heart of the desert. There, they aimed for the drifting clouds above, roping them from below.

That night, as rain fell over the town, people applauded from porches and laundromats.

By the next morning, the cowboys were gone.

Only puddles remained.