Behold the savannah, sun baked to perfection
Therein beyond the brush resides the watering hole the ancestral Grail
Mother nature's bosom the untamed drinkers haven
The setting Sun sinks into the sparkling water like an olive in a dirty martini
Stirred by slithering serpents and crocodiles,
Not shaken by the death toll of those who drink and die
Those who thirst are willing to wine and dine with the grim reaper
To die for a sip of the perfect brew
Birds of prey bold and proud are grounded by it
The big five big and strong are subdued by it
Truly thirst is master and when it beacons there is no denying it
A herd of buffalo converge to the regular drinking spot
A testimony, to the living dying of thirst
Eyes closed the black death in tall grass takes a sip of the still waters
Oblivious to the jaws that prey on those who drink to excess
Dust to dust and to dust you shall return
Chaos ensues, as the crocodile performs the death roll
One flies, one flees and lives to drink another day
The other drowns and there is blood in the water as a feeding frenzy ensues
The very source of life is riddled with death
A moment of silence for the fallen
Until we meet again, a toast to the dead for even in death they still thirst
The thirst is quenched only for that moment
For in the unforgiving heat of day
Hot and exhausted, the heart will want
And dry chapped lips will remember
In that very moment the thirst will return
And when it does, will you drink responsibly?
Kelvin is an independent content creator from Zimbabwe. Recently, he was commissioned to produce a 13 episode documentary called Many Wonders of Mosi oa Tunya by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe. Normally, he writes poetry, scripts and short stories.
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