H2Ohhhh…

A hot summer day it was
My throat, it was parched
After a brisk evening walk
In search of drinking water I marched

A God-given, bountiful resource
It should I think be free
But the way it’s priced so precious
By brands from A to Zee

Neatly arranged on racks, from a million places
Icebergs, rainwater, glaciers, spas and artesian springs
Exclusive aquifers, (wells being shady & unsettling)
Glass & plastic bottles or cans, still and sparkling

Perrier, Evian, Voss, Acqua Panna
San Pellegrino, Berg, Apollinaris, Badoit
Expecting us to swipe and pay
So much money for exactly what

Gerolsteiner, Ferrarelle, Volvic, St Geron
Iluliaq, Svalbard, Filico, Kona Nigari, Hildon
Veen, Mountain Vallley, 10 Thousand BC
And, wait for it – Bling H2O and Beverly Hills 90

Sourced, bottled and imported
From Canada, Iceland or pristine Norway
The Alpine heights or from exotic Fiji
The jungles of Tasmania or from Kobe

Claims of wellness & medicinal properties
Probiotic, alkaline, with added minerals fortified
Enhanced a dash of (unnecessary) flavour
I could only roll  my eyes and sigh

Price tags I guess were the surety
Guaranteed labels of trust and purity
Sustainably packed, but flown across thousand of miles
Marketing chicanery, peddling guile

Stay healthy & hydrated, that’s for sure
But replenish what you take from nature
Put back every drop, how many even know
For a litre of water, it takes three times more

Isn’t it clearly easier, methinks
To drink it straight out of a tap
Don’t pay and screw up the planet, guys
C’mon, be conscious, don’t be such a sap