beside distilled water

because our kitchen is too small

because we do not have counter space

for one of those filtration units that

extract death from city water

we religiously recycle plastic bottles

in a blue plastic barrel the city provides

when I exercise, I sweat profusely

sit on the porch and guzzle

store bought water through a plastic neck

this morning, I set a cup beside books and papers

Professor Plum’s picture painted on the side

allow distilled water to breathe air as it fills my cup

pretend it comes from the spring

where David composed poems(King James version)

beside still water in the shadow of death

9-25-20