Photo by Pat Whelen on Unsplash

Think about the river,
flowing,
its water
deep and dark.

It calmly carries fish,
birds, dead leaves along,
it detours through the marsh
almost lost
amidst green watercress.

Gathers itself back into its banks,
gets tickled by willow fronds
trailing in its water,
goes giddy around yellow iris.

Reflects the faces,
as you and your friend drop stones
from the wooden bridge,
reflections that
break in a million pieces

and the river sends the circles spreading
until the circles from your stone
blend with the circles from your friends stone,
and you are absorbed together.

And you two
walk off the bridge
while the river flows
to the sea.

December 1996