Oh, Oh, Eau!

Ode to Running Water

i turn on the faucet
at the kitchen sink,
to the bathroom tub

when i’m outside
i rotate a metal wheel
to turn on the hose

the water flows
so evenly
so freely

some people don’t have running water
indoor plumbing
outdoor spigots

in Malawi
some people carry water
in buckets on their heads

it hurts my neck thinking of it
some people don’t have clean water
i can’t explain why

i get to be someone
with clean water
on demand

i wonder if my gratitude
might flow more purely
more freely

if my water didn’t