in a movie a man washes dishes

and pauses when he hears 

a knock at the door

leaving the water running 

he goes to seek 

the source of the sound

I feel uneasy watching this

but not because 

of the eerie feeling 

the swelling music

the sudden silences

the looming danger 

but because the water 

is still running 

all I can hear

is the precious water

wasting into the sink

this movie was made in California 

which means what

pours from the faucet 

comes at least in part 

from Colorado mountains

which stand nearly snowless 

above me and my tv 

all that settles here 

and melts into rivers 

flows through all the neon cities 

and eventually 

to the Hollywood hills 

they take so much of our water 

for mansion lawns 

and movie set sinks 

which pour for no reason 

I shut off the screen 

and go outside 

to stand in the thin rain

water which for now 

falls as it should 

and is not yet wasted 

Alexander Shalom Joseph is an award-winning poet, writer and playwright from Gilpin County, and is the author of seven published books. You can find his work and more information about him at alexandershalomjoseph.com.