River Cascading

Between deep gorges water flows:
springs that glint over moss and lichen
or energetic streams that tumble,

shifting and grinding
over rocks and boulders.
Between deep gorges water flows,

fizzing with minerals and petrichor,
full to the brim with April showers,
springs that glint over moss and lichen.

In summer months, watercourses
dry where water plantain grows,
no energetic cascades that tumble,

but an ice blue trickle of flowers
pushes gently through wilting grass,
no more shifting and grinding:

a silken ribbon becomes a gushing
and then a sky-coloured cascade
over rocks and boulders

and bursts like spring thunderclouds
haemorrhaging rainbows;
between deep gorges water flows.

Kim M. Russell, 2nd April 2019

Image result for Waterfalls in England with rainbows
Lumsdale Valley Rainbow, Derbyshire (Peak District) – image found on Pinterest

My response to dVerse Poets Pub Poetics: Cascade

Amaya is hosting at the pub tonight with ‘cascade’. She tells us about an unofficial initiation when she was at college, in which groups of students would head to a narrow gorge known as Cascade Canyon, to complete the ‘ABC’ rite of passage, after jumping off Adrenalin Falls and Baker’s Bridge.

Amaya has shared the poem ‘Woman and Child’ by Judith Beveridge, a lovely source of inspiration for tonight’s prompt,in which Amaya asks us to incorporate the word ‘cascade’ in a poem. We may  reflect on its metaphysical properties and what it means in life, or write a shape poem showing us a picture of a cascade. A bonus challenge is to write a cascade form poem with however many stanzas we choose.

26 thoughts on “River Cascading”

  6. Kudos to the extended cascade form. What a magical sight this river is Kim. I specially love:

    bursts like spring thunderclouds
    haemorrhaging rainbows;
    between deep gorges water flows

    Liked by 2 people

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