High Water

The river overflowed the trails.
The brown cattails
And lilies there
And birds don’t care.

My disappointment flickers though.
I’ll let it go
Eventually.
There’s much to see.

When blocked from going on my walk,
The chatter-talk
I want to mind
Can rest, unwind.


Linked to dVerse Quadrille celebrating its 6th Anniversary and hosted by Grace with prompt word “flicker”.
Photo “Exterior of the Trail” by the author linked to K’lee and Dale‘s Cosmic Photo Challenge with theme “exterior”.  I am on the outside or exterior of the Des Plaines River Trail at Half Day Forest Preserve.  High water from the rains a couple days ago overflowed the river onto the trails although that overflowing is not evident in this picture.  The collage below contains scenes in Half Day Forest Preserve that I would have missed if the trails were usable.  They are also part of the “exterior” of these trails.

Scenes from Half Day Forest Preserve

One Rose

This simple story that is theirs to tell
Is older than the darkness of the night
And truer than the Sun’s new morning light
And deeper than the deepest magic spell.

Between them stood tall mountains none would cross,
A river that ran rapids through their dreams,
A forest that lay dense where one rose beamed
And warned them they could suffer every loss.

They followed Love no matter how they’d fall.
Then mountains bowed to open up the sky.
The river calmed. The forest lifted high.
What fear they felt they now could not recall.

Their tears took root, went deep. They understood
That darkness charmed by light transforms to good.


Linked to dVerse Meeting the Bar: Pop Sonnets hosted by Kim of Writing in North Norfolk with the prompt to convert a pop song into a sonnet.  I am not supposed to tell you which pop song I selected.
Linked to NaPoWriMo2017 Day Thirteen.

Photo: “Watching the Light” by the author

Flood

I’d rather be up here somewhere
Than in that river rushing on,
Dissolving tears without a care
And draining hope till it has gone.

With hope removed, sent off to sea,
The body stumbles far behind,
Soon mindless without misery,
A plaything for some nymph to find.


Linked to dVerse Poetics hosted by Paul Dear with the theme “The River”.

Heart Off-Centered Beating

Off-center is that beating heart.
The rapids rush grows steeper
And those who’d reach the other side
Acknowledge that the river’s wide–
That heart is strong and deeper.


Written for dVerse Poetrics hosted by Michelle (Mish) featuring the artwork of Ally Saunders. The featured image, “Crossing the River”, is by Saunders. Her work may be viewed at http://allyart.ca/.

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