A Benefit Most Times
Free flowing gushing
Down the hillsides
From little rivulets
Glistening in the morning sun
Meeting like movements
Feigned orderly nonchalant laziness
Upon reaching leveled grounds
Meandering around strong boulders
Obligatory in extending life support
To living creatures seeking refuge
In solemn agreement to provide solace
A yardstick measured in benefits
Undeterred by intimidating natural occurrences
But of deluge splayed across the plains
Undermining flora and fauna
Scampering to avoid the power
Lashing downstream in obese magnitude
Flattening everything in its path
In shambles unaccounted for
Of dwellings, limbs of animals and man
Threatening the livelihood of countless
But wait!
Rivers are a source of life and energy
Benefiting mankind
In all its propensity
In good times when cleverly harnessed
Very well said. I liked the clipped sound of the voice, which came across very well indeed.
ReplyDeleteFrom meandering to gushing, rushing and swift flowing you have covered it all and the devastation it causes!! The last part does speak more kindly!!
ReplyDeleteYou've really captured the sensation of motion. I like it!
ReplyDeleteAh, the two sides of the coin. What is good can so often be the opposite. Nice one.
ReplyDeletetoo much of anything can be a bad thing...that which gives life can easily take it...
ReplyDeletePowerful flow through this piece, emphasizing the existence of good and bad in everything that is.
ReplyDelete"Feigned orderly nonchalant laziness"
ReplyDeleteI love this line. Just putting those four words together brings up so many contradictory meanings. A perfect technique for describing nature.
- Nick
Yeah rivers are needed for life, but they can easily cause strife. One moment they may flow with a glow and the next drown you with a rage, going right off the page.
ReplyDeleteWell written and a pleasure to read.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
This is wonderful, Hank.
ReplyDeleteRivers have always been important in my life. My father loved them, and after he retired he wrote books about them. Each story was about a different river, its beauty, its history, what it meant to the people who lived on its shores, what it meant to my father to visit it and to fish in its waters.
You've got a beautiful write here, and I agree with Nick about "feigned orderly nonchalant laziness" — the river flowing smoothly, softly, safely, with no clue to the chaos of rapids around the next bend.
So much has been written about rivers, but as Dad proved, and as you have proven here, more can always be written. Thanks!
K
Gorgeous, Hank. So it is with rivers. Thanks for this treasure.
ReplyDeletepicturesque lines Hank...
ReplyDeletei could vividly see those descriptions you made, even the aftermath of its deluge...river it is, in all its splendor and the negative impact it does give...
Nice work Hank!