The drainage ditch is four feet wide

by Mae Grey · 02/03/2026
Published 02/03/2026 15:09

The drainage ditch is four feet wide.

I used to clear it in a stride

and land upon the other side

with nothing on my knees.


The soles of my boots

hit the slope of the bank.

I slid back into the weeds.

The mud on my cuff

is dark and wet.


These trousers cost a week's pay.

I am standing in the muck.

The ground is further away

than it was in the summer of '98.

#economic hardship #manual labor #nostalgia #working class fatigue

Related poems →

More by Mae Grey

Read "The drainage ditch is four feet wide" by Mae Grey. One of the best and most popular poems on The Poet's Place. Discover more trending, inspiring, and beautiful poetry by Mae Grey.