The Apples in My Orchard

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about water. This life-giving fluid is our most precious resource. I fear for the future as we pollute, divert, steal, and abuse the water we have available to use on earth. Did you know that less than 1% of the water on earth is available for human consumption? It’s true!

Being an environmental educator, this concerns me. We spent a short time this summer without a well for water. We are not hooked up to “city water” and our well ran dry. It was several weeks before we had a new well (deeper) and running water. It was an eye-opener, to say the least!

I also work with kids a lot and am always looking for new lessons. I believe, and hope I am wrong, that we will have a water crisis and maybe even water wars while my children are alive. My youngest is 18. I sincerely hope I am wrong about this, but that said, I am now interested in educating our youth about water conservation.

As is typically the case with me, I immerse myself in a single topic when I start to develop new lessons. This includes voraciously reading everything I can get my hands on, snapping lots of photos, and sometimes (like today) even writing poetry!

My Wee Drop O’ Water poem is at the end of this post. But, first I want to recommend a book I bought to help me get a handle on the subject of water conservation.  It is called Water is Water by Miranda Paul and Illustrated by Jason Chin. The book lyrically describes what forms water takes as our seasons and weather conditions change.

With few words to a page, it is perfect for the very youngest of students.  I also bought a few other books that are chock full of facts but still in a story format. They are pictured, too.

A Water Poem: A Wee Drop

© Carol Labuzzetta, 2020

A wee bit o’ water

just a drop on a leaf

soon to be floating away

on a breeze, becoming invisible to the eye

we are just left with belief.

Water was here, was it not?!

I wonder, I wonder

what have you nourished

in a time before now?

Were you floating along

in the Panama Canal or

the last part of an almost dry

creekbed on a Zimbawian trail?

Water, water where are you now?

What city did you hover over

centuries ago? Before a heavy dark cloud

made you return to our earth in one giant blow.

All the water we have known comes back with a force.

Forming Drops, Puddles, Rivers, and Oceans to fill once again.

You stay until the hot winds blow, and your vanishing act is set to go.

Then, you continue your travels, cycling, and cycling,

as drops on air, but also my friend. Humidity, we claim is ugly you see.

But really, it assures us you are what you’ll be.

A wee drop, traveling so far

Landing now in an area so cold, white, and smooth,

millions like you glistening and gleaming,

on mountains and crevasses,

you had no choice to be frozen upon your visit tonight.

No longer a drop, but a flake you are now.

Frozen and solid as the ice crystals form. This same drop

visits me, Uganda, and eventually, the forlorn.

Through cycling and cycling sometimes causing a storm.

Oh, little drop, where are you now?

We all need you, this precious drop of crystal clear liquid, 

to nourish and live. Your job stays the same for eons and eons of

drops on a leaf, we can all see you need never change,

even a bit,  Just visit often, in whatever form you take, we’ll

honor and keep you safe,  don’t you know, for heaven’s sake.

Today is Poetry Friday. It is hosted this week by Laura Salas of Small Reads for Brighter Days Blog. Thanks to Laura and all the other writers who host this awesome forum where we can share our work! If you have time, be sure to check out some of the other participant’s pages. Or, even contribute yourself! Thanks for stopping by!