Buckets of Water

Buckets of Water

the man
who wastes
his entire life
can't imagine
why you 
refuse to waste 
a few measly hours
of your life
on him
since a few hours
are a drop
in the bucket
compared
to all of his life
he's so joyously
wasted

a man
pouring the gallons
of his life
out the window
every day
can't imagine
your stubborn refusal
to spare him
a few drops
of your own

your life
like water
you accumulate
and consume
for yourself
so that tomorrow
moistened enough
you may accumulate
and consume more
for yourself
or give it away
to someone in need
rather than one
who so frivolously
wastes 
his own
then 
so audaciously
begs
for more
from
another

this clever
though lifeless man
will say
all your drops
are not so precious
as you sometimes
spill
in your accumulation
and consumption
you sometimes
and necessarily
spill
a few drops
every day
without losing
any sleep

he will say
in losing a few drops
without any despair
then why not offer him
a few to waste
too
since there's so little 
to despair
in your loss
of a few drops
here and there

if you still refuse
and if he
is a clever enough man
he may tell you
instead of wasting
the water you give
he too
will accumulate
in a bottle
the drops
you give him
to someday
bequeath it 
back to you
to return to the well
from which it was gathered

that
will be his gift
to you
his sacrifice 
to you 
so you may always
return to the well
with the comfort
of knowing
it will never
be dry

he will graciously
honorably
offer
to return
your gift
in your time of need
or 
he will spite you
for never offering 
your gift
to one day
be so graciously 
and honorably 
returned

this man
either grateful
for the gift
he wastes
or
spiteful
of the denial
of its gracious
honorable
return
to its original possessor
which is the only form
of giving
this man
of such a shallow
and wasted life
has ever
known