Who am I to Live Upstream
Boston, MA
2021, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Living upstream
I, like many others, am guilty of being disappointed by the cloudy weather.
I live with privilege and so does my community
If I am hungry I check the cupboards
No food? Drive to the grocery store
Buy fresh produce.
Meat and protein at the ready.
Clean water to drink.
How many times have you been scolded for drinking only half a bottle of water,
Leaving the plastic waste.
Leaving the wasted resource scattered,
Amongst your unnecessary materialistic possessions.
Now you dump it down the drain.
Twisting through the pipes.
The water now sits in waste.
She lives downstream
She, like many others, cherishes the cloudy weather.
In anticipation of the downfall of rain,
Her hopes rise high.
She has never seen privilege, neither has her community.
If she is hungry she must search or beg for her food.
No food? She must endure her hunger.
growing her own produce, weather permitting.
raising her own livestock, if water allows it.
An ugly cycle, drought leaves no water,
Flooding claims the water and pollutes it.
She would never leave a water bottle half full.
She does not have that privilege.
It may seem as if upstream has everything it needs and more.
Are they in control?
Is that the reason for the rain’s inconsistency?
Who takes the reins?
Stubbornly after taking water for granted for so long,
Oblivious to what that water may mean to those deprived.
Those upstream feel it a chore to waste their water by dumping it.
What if downstream is really just down our drains,
On the rare occasion we pick up our mess and dispose of a precious resource,
They would collect the secondhand water,
Standing with mouths open and buckets ready.
And even that they would be thankful for.
Here, upstream, we learned how it really works through school.
The water cycle; describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of
the Earth.
I, like many others, are guilty of taking my education for granted.
There, downstream, school is no priority.
They learned this through experience.
The water cycle; describes the continuous lack of a basic resource, no access to clean drinking
water and no water to satisfy the crops, so it is starvation we face.
Upstream we whine and complain about the rain,
We wrap ourselves up in blankets.
Have a “lazy day”
The rain is a burden
It forces a change of pointless excursions
Downstream, they thank higher powers for the rain.
While the clouds block out the sun,
The people downstream fill their communities with a different kind of light.
Young and old collect what water they can.
The sound of raindrops crashing down, hitting the bottom of a tin pail.
Families tend to the crops,
Rain may let them grow
Men and women tend to the livestock
Rain may sustain the animals and their families
If not for this hard work, they will starve.
Their children will starve.
They are not privileged enough to have a “lazy day.”
Who am I to live upstream?
Given so much privilege
Why is she to live downstream?
Where human rights are seen as unobtainable.
If the current of the stream grows stronger,
Perhaps it will carry more resources than just water.
Perhaps here, upstream, we can share our wealth.
Send knowledge, resources, and compassion.
The current is strong enough.
We must now put it to use.
Reflection
My poem was inspired by the ripple effect of clean water (or lack of) in Ethiopia. The lack of rain means that crops without consistent watering cannot be sustained. This results in families with failed crops losing their main food source, and they are not able to care for livestock due to the rationing of what little food and water they do have. The crops and livestock are the main source of income for many of these families. Many Ethiopians who live in poverty make some money by selling whatever crops or livestock that their families don't need. With drought, however, there is a decrease in the surplus of food. While writing this poem, I felt guilt. I know it is not my fault that people across the world are living without clean water or a sufficient amount of food, but I do feel responsible to do whatever I can to help these struggling communities. That is also my intended message. We can help the people being hit hardest by climate change. I've learned how resilient these Ethiopian communities are. It is so impressive but also sad. No one should have to work as hard as they do and suffer as much as they do just to live in fear and discomfort.