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Gordon Taulbee

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Sulfur Water

The sulfur water stains
the children’s clothes when their
parents try to wash them.
The water man said it’s
actually iron --
elemental problem --
but people think sulfur
because that is what they
have been told for ages.
That doesn’t cause the smell.
He says the filter will
fix the problem and make
the water softer too.
It will be better for
cooking and cleaning soon
and that smell will work its
way out of the homestead.
The well will need venting
The hydrogen sulfide
Is the cause of the smell
But does not cause the stains.
This will fix the problems.
It sounds like a great plan
for now, or at least till
they run city water.
Then water man’s widow
can soon be forgotten.

Ernest Gordon Taulbee grew up in Salyersville, KY – a rural town in Eastern Kentucky. He holds a BA and an MA in English from Eastern Kentucky University. He lives in Louisville, KY with his wife and daughters. His novel A Sibling in Always can be purchased on Amazon. 
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