poetryinmotion

COLORED WATER

Category: /General/

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She was a white child growing up in the ’50’s…from a loving family she came
She did not know of bigotry…she was taught to treat everyone the same.

One day out with her mother…a summer day…it couldn’t be hotter
the little girl walked up to a fountain…to get a drink of water.

Two fountains standing side by side…both contained the water that she needed
She walked up to the one marked colored…when an old man interceded.

“Little one,” he said, “you can’t drink from that fountain…they say it isn’t right.
you must drink from the other fountain…the one that’s labeled white.”

“But I never drank colored water before!” I want to use this one instead…
I want to see if it’s blue or yellow or maybe green or red.”

“I know it’s confusing,” her mom told her…”and I don’t even like to think it
but the signs are not for the water…they’re for the people who will drink it.”

The little girl stood there confused…she was truly taken aback
“But you’re not colored.” she said to the man. “You’re a beautiful shade of black.”

“And what about me!” she said out loud. “When I take the time to think.
I’m not really white at all…I’m a lovely shade of pink.”

“I don’t understand!” the little girl said. “If everybody here on Earth is equally created
why do the fountains we drink from need to be separated?”

She walked over to the colored fountain…filled her cup to the very top
then put the cup up to her lips…and drank down every drop.

Then she smiled at her mom…she wasn’t the lease bit scared
As she filled her cup, handed it to the man and smiled…”This water’s to be shared.”

The little girl is a woman now…she knows every person is meant to coexist
and even though separate fountains are gone…she knows prejudice persists…

But she also knows there is a way…to change this paradigm…
It takes one person…with one cup of water
to change the world…
one person at a time.

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