I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

21 May 2014

River

The first river you paddle runs through the rest of your life. It bubbles up in pools and eddies to remind you who you are. — Lynn Noel

Poetry, rivers, reading,
these are all great loves of mine.
I float into joy, searching
for famous quotations on 

rivers, for a verse or line
to begin a new poem
about my love of rivers —
and see, I found the right one!

It says it all, so for me
I can add nothing, needing
only to bathe in those words,
let the river of them run

through my memories, speeding
or meandering, and shine!


Submitted for the Poetic Asides bref double challenge,

14 comments:

  1. Me too - rivers, and specially that first one, do seem to run through our lives. Well done.

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  2. I like how we can understand the meaning of river in different ways. I guess my 'first river' is not the first I encountered but the first I really noticed and still think of when I picture a river.

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  3. A river is so much like life itself.. how the it begin a rivulet, and grow, join, and finally merge into an estuary... I love rivers, and to me, they always have a deeper meaning...

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  4. Beautiful quote and poem. The only river I don't like is when it stagnates and dries up.

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  5. finding inspiration....mine is in floating the river each day and in all that i pass...i was 16 the first white water trip i took...and it has flowed through me all my life as well....firsts stick with us...

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  6. Yes a beautiful quote.One to live by and lovely poem it inspired.

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  7. Just bathe on the words and the river's tides of memories will come or pass by ~

    I love the quote too ~

    Grace

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  8. I like the way your words flowed here, Rosemary, just like a river. Rivers are so symbolic of life really. We each have our journey, which meanders sometime, speeds up sometime, and turns, on our way to the sea.

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  9. Love the quote you chose, Rosemary!

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  10. Much appreciate all the comments, folks!

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  11. I grew up near a river, you have it exactly Rosemary!

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  12. it somehow is a comforting thought that we on one side stay in that river from birth to death and yet that there's constant change and development - it's a cool journey, isn't it..? smiles

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  13. love this peaceful flow...bathing in memories and words...a beautiful quote you've chosen and equally beautiful is the response...

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  14. I just bought a book of Thoreau quotes (with lovely watercolors) and so many of his words are pure poetry…

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