River

Attend the hypnotic babble soothing the air,
Calling to beasts, birds, bugs, and wanderers,
Finding fare and life on an ebbing shore,
Of grass and humus, a niche for wonderers.
Boundless creation finds an echo here,
In sounds, in smells, in all that stirs,
The water murmurs.

This trickster escapes 'ere it is seen,
Yet ever perceived though never still,
Kneel and kiss the cool fresh current,
Hold back the water's wandering will,
Savor the substance and the semblance,
In all things perhaps the greatest skill.
The water evades.

While this seducer captures the gaze,
The surface hides a million stories,
Death and detritus ever encased,
Below, nabbed in nooks and crannies,
Fish and fowl won't allow the waste,
Feeding in pursuit of their quarries.
The water conceals.

And as this moving canvas enchants,
The sky's light churns in reflection,
Sometimes hiding the water's secrets,
Sometimes clarifying in connection,
When muddy mocha to crystal clears,
In perfect beauty and affection,
The water shines.

Attend the parable of the river,
The visage conceals constant change,
Deeply buried in the human heart,
Are places dark, somber, and strange,
Yet the angels aspire to hymnody,
When mire for glimmer is exchanged.
The water reveals.

As I sit by the river.