Voluptuous Water
When I lived in a stone house
nestled in a forest near Woodstock
money might flow my way if
I could provide an alternative
to the chemical cocktail piped in
by the publicystem. My plan
to cash in, a bottled-water business,
selling two brands: Wild Water
for normal use, Voluptuous Water
for those special occasions—
same brew, different price—
both drawn from a deep cistern
dug by a family from Italy,
a land of ancient aqueducts,
who built my lovely home.
Years later bottled water
becomes a fad in yuppie circles,
serious money is made.
The water from my well, I swear,
was exceptional, the best I’ve
ever savored, mineral content
high and healthy, the drink
refreshing, worth paying for.
I don’t regret not turning a profit
but I do miss that pure taste.
How the Weather Was
Warm for March; there
had been a light rain
during the night,
you could see tiny
puddles of water held
in the hands of the leaves
that had kept their shape
through the winter;
in the afternoon the sun
came out from behind
the clouds, it was very
bright for a few hours,
you had to squint
your eyes to see. It got
so hot so fast it
seemed as if the leaves
were steaming. Later
the sun went back
behind the clouds
and that evening
it was cool again.
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Country Living
I do not live
in the city
by my house
a stream flows
deepening
into a small pool
there you can
fish and swim
in the summer […]
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William Heath has published three poetry books: The Walking Man, Steel Valley Elegy, and Going Places; a chapbook, Night Moves in Ohio; three novels: The Children Bob Moses Led (winner of the Hackney Award), Devil Dancer, and Going Places; a work of history, William Wells and the Struggle for the Old Northwest (winner of two Spur Awards and the Oliver Hazard Perry Award); and a collection of interviews, Conversations with Robert Stone. He lives in Annapolis.
More at: www.williamheathbooks.com