The Well Diggers' Apologia


Those who dug the well;

those who went down into the dirt each day in faith they might find water;

those who found water and lined the well with proper stone;

those who made the rope and hung the bucket:

they line up each day, with all who come to the well and they wait to take water.


While they wait, conversations start up.

This one, in front a few places, complaints how long they waited yesterday;

this one behind wonders why there is nowhere to sit and what is to be done with the donkeys eating plastic;

this one wishes the men would take their business elsewhere;

this one hates to hear about the struggles of Job except he might strike the ground with his foot and a cool spring would gush forth;

this one would like some help with a knitting pattern but can't find any knitting companions;

this one suggests a little group could meet later and maybe have coffee and tomatoes;

this one is always shy and nobody knows why;

this one has bruises and pushes;

this one thinks the water stinks but can't be bothered going to another well because it is too far and people there are dirty and different;

this one is looking for a mate and yearns for an oasis with dates and figs and a pool to bathe in;

this one has agoraphobia and sweats a lot;

this one spies a well digger and points at the well digger and issues orders to the well digger such that the well digger should pipe the water to people's houses so they don't have to suffer the indignity of this line of people wanting water;

this group joins in and talks at length about how they were raised to tolerate others but this kind of line-up for water is just too much;

this one was whipped in the capital city for just being alive and hides scars;

this one has calculated that men are not needed at all if this well is all they can build;

this one has worked out a formula of injustice that has a list of names;

this one sees no reason to live and rushes into the desert howling;

this one has brought a mongrel dog to defend them from secret fears;

this child pants and faints and then dust flies and water is brought and the line reforms but some people have jumped places.


The well diggers wait their turn and wonder when the rope will need replacing;

and wonder what it will feel like going down the well next time.



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