ᏔᎵ ᎢᏳᏟᎶᏛ (two miles)
Houston, TX
2021, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
sweat pours down her face
and slips into her eyes
it makes them burn
but if she tries wiping it away
the sweat from her fingertips will cause her more discomfort she gives the handle a hearty crank
the valve groans over her bucket
as the blinding sun beats down onto her tan, speckled back it’s just water
a right
seventy-one
percent of the world
2 miles on foot
another crank
for a semi-clear liquid
that trickles out of a corroded pipe
water gushes into the bucket
spraying her fingertips
her calloused, burnt hands
a smile plays at her lips
she murmurs a quick prayer
that her water is blessed
and clean
and that whoever next comes to the well
to receive water
is looked after
she collects her water
and begins the journey home
buckets in each slippery hand
which slosh around with each step she takes
Reflection
Water sustains life. Thus, ensured access to clean water should be considered a basic human right. However, many minority groups lack a stable supply of water. Thousands of indigenous communities have to travel miles to search for safe water. It’s unthinkable that people have to work for a need that comes so easily to most. Moreover, the lack of water in native tribes contributes to the disappearance of their cultures. The dying Cherokee language is losing native speakers because many are growing ill or dying from dehydration. Recently, the last monolingual Cherokee speaker passed away. COVID-19 has only exacerbated this issue. Stories arise of brave men and women of the Navajo Nation who collect water and spend their day delivering it to high-risk people or those who cannot leave their homes. Cherokee leaders have issued the Wilma P. Mankiller and Charlie Soap Water Act, pledging to put $2 million towards clean water annually to help rebuild the Cherokee community with water. The Cherokee people demonstrate the value of Gadugi, working together for the greater good, while coming together to receive water.