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The Significance of Water

By Caroline StahlPublished 6 years ago 1 min read
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Water flows into blue plastic

cups

from stainless steel faucets

and a refrigerated pitcher

that removes the taste of chlorine.

Water falls hot

from shower heads

mixes with lavender scented soap

in bathtubs,

rushes down the drain gallons at a time.

People line up

set up camps in the winter

lose time with children

lose jobs

lose vision as tear gas and pepper spray flood

the soft membranes of their eyes.

Blood flows like water

when concussion grenades detonate

and shatter the radius

of a woman handing out water.

They do it because

water

is sacred

and rivers should run

without the threat of becoming

oil

when pipelines burst

and they will burst.

But water

floods basements

wrinkles pages of books

spreads grey clouds

on ceilings when the roof leaks.

So how can it be sacred?

Girls miss school

miss childhood

walk miles each way

strain their spines

allow pain to fill the spaces

between their vertebrae

in search of

dirty brown

pathogen-filled

water

to quench the thirst of their families

Don’t they know that water

is found

in fluorescent-lit plastic rows

sold

for 99 cents a bottle?

Pocket change.

Children seize

stare blankly at walls

can’t learn the word water

Because theirs turned brown

and toxic

when crumbling

lead pipes

were never replaced.

But why would they need replacing

when the people who drink from them

are poor?

The Governor

is rich

and drinks water

that flows through shiny, copper,

non-toxic

pipes.

sad poetry
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