Parched
I had never been afraid of water.
Water was the pool, the ocean,
And even the morning.
Water was inviting, wholesome,
And water was clean.
Water was waking up in the morning.
Splashing upon my youthful face,
Drinking from a tall glass,
And carrying on.
Unafraid.
But water is now my fear.
An enemy I cannot abandon.
Water is the pool,
A place I cannot bear to be seen.
Water is the ocean,
A place that has lost its glory.
And water is the morning,
Begging to be used for self-care.
But I do not care.
You see, I used to thirst.
Thirst for life, thirst for joy.
Because as water quenches thirst,
It is happiness that quenches despair.
But I now find myself parched,
Even after I've been drinking.
Drinking from an empty glass,
Splashing upon my tired face.
I can’t drink water,
For people will stare.
But I can’t not drink water,
For people will question what is wrong.
Nothing is wrong, I say.
The water is fine.
It is just me that is not.
Copyright © Mallory Snodgrass | Year Posted 2018
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