Poem: Riverbeds flowing

 

The rocks stretch out their arms
To homeless pebbles in the sand
As the white waters leap
Downhill in headlong pursuit
Of happy, lapping hours.

The riverbeds also flow
With the rivers
And there is no stillness 
In nature;
Pebbles and stones plunge forth,
Racing with invisible things in the mud
A thousand times chafing the reeds,
Green-swirling---
Excited by the kick of fish-tails,
In the willow-strands
The leaping surprise 
Of otters sliding down parapets

Like rain off a woman’s hair
Awakened by the wind’s insistent love

Tossing dead boughs away
Upon waters, children, flowers,
Eyes;

Riverbeds flowing,
There are once more 
Traveling tales to tell. 

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from the collection, ''Riverbeds Flowing '', 1999; reprint 2009