W A T E R
Survival hinged on those five simple letters inked with black magic marker, in bold block print, on a shard of cardboard torn from a beer box . Recycled twist ties from dumpster diving behind a forgotten bakery were looped through the top of the advertisement, attaching it to the back of his backpack. West Texas gusty winds fanned the sign like mud flaps on semi trucks as the thirsty man trudged forward along the dusty shoulder of Interstate 10.
