The Year of the Poet X June 2023

Foreword Children: Difference Makers: Ryan Hreljac "Jus give me cool drink of water fore I die" Ms. Maya said.

And sometimes it is just that. The need to quench a longing for something so basic in life that we can't imagine living without it. Water is a basic component of living. Everything around us, including us, is made up of large amounts of water. We cannot survive without it.

The access to this life sustaining element, although essential, is often unavailable to large populations on the earth. Given man's proclivity to pollution, containment and even hoarding has created a world where we must go in search of water. Where rivers once flowed now sit houses and factories. Where waterfalls were once free to carve paths across our landscapes, we have created man-made recreational parks and such where the privilege can go to see what we have prohibited to the poor.

Our featured free thinker and doer has understood what many have not. We need to ensure that water and other necessities are available for everyone. It may take one to plant a seed of refreshment. It may take many to dig a well. It may take a government to break a dam. It will take a world to turn back the environment.

What we don't have is the luxury of letting someone die for a cool drink of water. Needs cannot always be a desire.

Gail Weston Shazor Author Artist Humanitarian