I wake thirsty
and empty the glass
I keep on my nightstand
then go to the bathroom
and turn on the water
brush my teeth
wash my face
flush the toilet
wash my hands
how much water
have I already used
in my first ten minutes
of being awake today
then I start breakfast
filling the kettle
making my food
washing the pan
and the dishes
how much have I used now
how many gallons
have I pulled up from the ground
and wasted in the sink
how much do I require
just to stay alive
I could go through my whole day
catalogue all my water use
maybe I should
find out how much
I really use
instead of asking rhetorically
but after breakfast
I step outside
to the snowless dead grass
and look at the mountains
through my neighbor’s trees
there is no snow there
there hasn’t been snow in weeks
I’m outside barefoot
in a T shirt
and the sky is cloudless
and summer blue
in January
I wonder about my water use
but I also wonder
about how much water is left
how can everybody I know
use as much water as me
every day
when nothing is replenished
the mountains get snow
which melts to rivers
which collect into lakes
which are pumped
to our faucets
to our lawns
to our bathtubs
to our running sinks
but what happens when
there is no snow
what happens
when we keep using so much
what happens
when I use so much
and give so little back
how can I give something back
if only so that I may survive
so that we all may

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 www.alexandershalomjoseph.com.