Timeless River

River Severn—Worcester UK

Five past six, light, bright evening,
across the wrinkled river, close to town;
currents cross, eddies eddy and sunlit shadows
cast under the bridge arc, dipple dapple
age-worn brick.
Busy bridge shades, silhouettes,
lorries, buses, cars, infected insects
see workers return. Swans call canoeists,
fish chobble chunky bread; cygnets devour.
Ripples swirl and shine on flashy scales,
silver fishy swishy tails. Crickets bat
leg-to-leg whispers in sun-warm scents.
Slicks of green and purple
drift…
Twilight stealths in dusky summer shifts.
The torpid timeless river, close to town.

Polly Stretton © 2017

This version of a poem written in 2012 was updated for my writers’ circle prompt Across the River and was also my Open Link Night post for dVerse with Joe Hesch pulling drafts and tipping bottles. Now, a version appears in the second edition of Girl’s Got Rhythm.