A Hillbilly’s Saga of Water—Or Lack Thereof
By Naomi Hughes
Once upon a time, there was a family of hillbillies
who moved to town to live on a hill.
The only water was in an old dug well
and a small stream way down the hill.
The well went dry
and then water had to be fetched up the hill
in a bucket, by hand.
Oh, what a chore!
When it came time to wash clothes
they had to be carried down the hill to the stream
and scrubbed by hand, an all day job.
Many years passed.
Then one of the hillbillies managed to get
enough money together to drill a well.
Thrill! Thrill!
Alas, when the water was found,
it was full of iron.
Ugh! It tasted awful!
But…there was plenty of water,
although it tasted of iron and the clothes turned yellow.
Years passed.
City water finally came to the hillbillies.
It too had to be brought up the hill, in pipes.
Behold, when it got to the hillbillies
there was no water pressure.
To bathe, wash dishes, wash clothes,
had to be done one chore at a time.
For heaven’s sake, don’t flush!
Ain’t progress great!
Bathe in a trickle, like standing in a light rain shower.
The washer takes forever to fill.
The dish washer is another story.
The repair man worked and worked.
Then he threw up his hands and said,
“The problem is lack of water pressure.
You can add water, by hand.”
Water, water, plenty of water, but
no water pressure for the hillbillies.
Woe is me, why do hillbillies live on hills?
