Water, water, water

By

George O. Obikoya

It is still on their mind

The omen it bears now

On one more fine day

They should chat away

But it will not be now

There is all too much

Many not even a drop

Of what is to change

It will not rain today

Not as it did years ago

When then they talked

And danced with roses

Today they must pray

To the rain gods again

Their curse to appease

By the scissors’ chorus

Together they bonded

In concord all day long

On lyrics dancing now

To rain for once again

With joy they cry out

Even as grief rules in

What their hearts say

Their tragic story tells

The garden city gone

When glaciers retreat

To reveal the bosom

That nurtures time past

They all gather there

From far and within

Ages know no bounds

For a new life they say

The lights still beckon

To fountains that dance

When the gods stay still

As they no longer hear

It must pain for so much

What the mountains lack

And children walk long

To get dance on display

With no bath in a week

And thirst that dry all

Will too weak to lick

They wonder out loud

What now meanders?

Does any still trickle?

With the hillside all dry

It seems all is now gone

Camels are thin now

Cattles, also now lean

In arid lands too devoid

What life gently holds?

It has been long ago

Not to say too few now

Feel the pain still stings

Of life with hardly any

It is never long enough

When yesterday is not

And today is not new

With the same still it

They take them away

On a one-way ticket

Still dry as they too

That takes them there

It is not just one time

Or is it in one place

As it heats up all over

Since we fail to change

The pace may vary

Not many still pained

But one is too many

To lack any to drink

The heat goes on ever

And dries it all up soon

For us to see where life

And our planet heads

Some ask when to stop

If what breaks makes

One to think things over

Or let them go their way

Let them holler again

To save their children

And wipe their tears

As in years gone by

Justice they say dies

Freedom a myth befalls

When children cry again

To have some to drink

They break their backs

Shear their will again

From here to there still

They search for life anew

Is water, water anywhere?

Give me some so I live

Not die of thirst and want

That takes us all at last

Its beauty crystals dread

In its murk even we drink

Crystals battered still glued

To each as also to us all

They can wait no more

For gallons splashed

We crashed to ferret

In lands so far away

They bawl for a feat here

For much we still lack

In so much that we need

Lest we risk all we have

Let us keep life here

Save our land now

Even as we explore

So we ever thrive here

When we destroy life

Degrade its fountain

It seems we care too

But only for all to die

My heart aches to see

How all else seem vital

We scramble to matter

But water barely counts

How we hope to live

Healthy filled with joy

Marvels with life weak

And seems going nowhere

None would likely say

All is well to lack life

And say we celebrate

Being alive and well

Yet, we drink not water

Or drink it from sewers

Some life that is for real

How ever will true life be?

We thus must treat well

And respect our roots

As life no longer will be

With water nowhere still

At least for now we say

To drink is real we must

Not lack what again now

For sure we all ever need

All the money is in vain

If health is not the gain

As then we truly lack

The will to live again

We need to start afresh

To see our land as worth

Pains of now for gains

For our children again

Together we will win

And put our land back

In our hands to achieve

Not lose for want again

We must give all water

Enough of it for us to drink

And to do what else too

We must to make our day

Life they say is short

So it sure goes for all

Our land not exempt

To keep it then we must

Use it well for real I pray

To save the day again

As none will do it for us

Or else they take it away

For now the alarm rings

From our slumber awake

To face our woes still

If all be well ever again

Not all is lost for real

Yet, we tarry once more

And watch it slip away

The life we hold so tight

The time to act is now

To save us and ours

From the ruin in sight

Failing to save the day

Water, water, water, now

The gods are still ready

To hear our plea for rain

And save us once again

It will and must pass

In bills to help right now

To do what we must do

That water pipes flow again

There is no time to waste

People are dying every day

From thirst and hunger

In backyards now our homes

Our kindred now neighbours

Share we must what we have

Our fate sure akin to theirs

Render we must all we can

Life is fleeting for certain

So to act now we must

For our sake and theirs

To save us all from dread

Water hear us now we pray

And forgive us our lack again

We are ready to do what needs

Even we must do for our sake

Water, water, water, again

Our land and life you hold

As tight as needs be we know

Why we pray for you, again.