The Water from the Filthy Well

By Andrew R. Duckworth

“He that deceives me once, its his fault; but if twice, its my fault.”

Italian Proverb as quoted by Anthony Weldon in his 1651 book – The Court and Character of King James.

I refuse to drink the water
From the filthy well,
The same that poisoned brothers
When they ingested without thought,
Accepting because the wise man
Instructed that the water
Was clean.
After the deed was done,
The wise man claimed the water
Would become clean.
And after they were ill,
The wise man claimed that
Drinking the water
Was the only way to be sure
Whether the water was clean
Or tainted.
But the wise man maintained
That he was the wise one!
After all, that wise man
Had studied the water,
Had looked at the water,
Had smelled the water…
But what a funny coincidence
That the wise man
Had never drank the water himself.