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Thirst

Some trickle slowly
Like a last drink in the desert
Savoring the few drops left for one more breath
Some pour in measured regulation
Knowing, always knowing, how much has gone
And never peering back at how much is left
Others cascade a reckless liquid avalanche
Purging good and bad in carnivals
That rarely last the night
And then there are those who watch it all
Parched and cotton-mouthed,
Drinking in the lives of others
While washed in rivers unknown to them
It is these I pity most
And these I most resemble.
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