This water smells
and it’s “Earth Day”.

This water smells and it’s the water we’re supposed to drink.
If we could afford to buy filtered, purer waters from some
Less fouled dream place (if you believe in these far away cleaner places)
We’d be poisoning ourselves.

And people everywhere have to drink it.
Like the people in the Persian Gulf whose waters were blackened, and whose
Skies are choked and ablaze.
Like the people two blocks from my home who can’t afford any purer
Water.
Like the people living on your streets…
Where ever you live.
Like the people everywhere who have to drink water that smells.

This water smells.
And in Turkey and Kuwait and Mexico City and Calcutta
And where ever you live
There are people with no food
No water
No hope at all
On “Earth Day”.