Still water

[Doug Thompson]

Still Water

After the apple juice, cordial and coke
But before you get to the wines
Is a shelf full of bottles of water
Laid out in rows of straight lines

I had pondered this strange aberration
On many a superstore lap
Why would you buy bottled water
When it’s virtually free from the tap

I could see people filling their trolleys
And paying the price at the till
But the logic eluded me, time and again
Why were they paying this bill

Then I noticed a sign on the end of the isle
And it came to me, all in a flash
The sign on the end said Still water
And that’s why they parted with cash

They were buying it as an investment
And its value would surely accrue
So I purchased a case and a half
And I paid the price that was due

I inspect my investment now and again
And the only change I have seen
In the year and three months I have owned it
Is the colour, from clear to green

And the labels are fading a little
So that is another good sign
But the labels say it is Still water
Though when Will it turn into wine