From Raindrop to River to Sea

It starts with a perfect drop of rain
falling from a cloud – and the future

arrives just as water, rippling the stillness
of a pond, releasing mayflies, dragonflies,

and herons that flap their wings
like broken umbrellas against spring rain.

The gorged river glints, powerful and steadfast
on its intrepid journey to the coast,

where it joins the other drops of future,
beautiful and frightening in their vastness.

Kim M. Russell, 13th December 2019

Image result for free images heron flying in rain
Stock image from dreamstime.com

My response to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads Weekend Mini-Challenge: 13 Poetic Bits of Kerry, also linked to Poets United Pantry of Poetry and Prose  and earthweal open link weekend #48

It’s Magaly’s last prompt for the Imaginary Garden today and she invites us to celebrate Kerry’s poetry with her. All we have to do is select 1 of the 13 lines she has harvested from Kerry’s poems and write a new poem. The words in our chosen lines must remain exactly as they are—consecutive and unaltered (other than capitalization)—and we must use every word in the lines we choose. Line breaks are fine.

It was so difficult to choose just one line but, in the end, I decided on “The future arrives just as water”, taken from ‘A Painless Day’ by Kerry O’Connor. I chose it because it has been very wet around here lately.

66 thoughts on “From Raindrop to River to Sea”

  1. You do such wonderful things with imagery and progression, Kim. I love seeing how a drop turns into more and more until the flood is slightly unnerving (as raging nature tends to be). I also really like how the “beautiful and frightening” of the last couplet seems is also present in the heron’s umbrella like wings, broken… and still flying.

    P.S. I, too, had quite a bit of trouble choosing a line. I might’ve written a few poems *cough* before finally choosing one to post. But it was good, so good, to brew something out of Kerry’s words.

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  2. I adore this poem, Kim. The description of the birds beside the river is so peaceful. I feel so blessed to have my words join yours in this beautiful portrayal.

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  4. My goodness this is absolutely gorgeous writing, Kim! ❤️ Especially love;

    “and the future
    arrives just as water, rippling the stillness
    of a pond, releasing mayflies, dragonflies,
    and herons that flap their wings
    like broken umbrellas against spring rain,”

    Woww!! 😍😍

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  9. A halcyon observation — “herons that flap their wings / like broken umbrellas against spring rain” — and the future which flows here is what it is, as are rain and mayflies which tide into future. Lovely poem Kim, speckled with raindrops and yearning.

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  17. I love “drops of future” and “beautiful and frightening in their vastness” – the unknown that much more attractive and scary when so vast!

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  22. One of my wife and I’s favorite hobbies was bird watching. How your poem took me back to those days searching creeks, rubbish tips and remote sea shores for elusive birds not yet crossed off our “seen” lists.

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  24. I adore that final line, and the feel of the entire poem, Kim.

    Sorry you’re having trouble commenting at my place. Thanks so much for leaving your thoughts at Toads–that was above and beyond and I appreciate it!

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    1. Thank you so much, Shay. I was so inspired by Kerry’s line and Magaly’s prompt..
      For some reason I had problems with the Poets United blog and a few others too. I’ve done a bit of housekeeping on my laptop and hope that clears it up.

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  29. I love the idea of the future starting as single drops here and there. I have been thinking similar thoughts. I like the eloquent way you express it. My poem on the same theme was much more raw.

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  32. The herons wings do look like huge umbrella – this is one of my favorite creatures, they teach us so much about patience. They can stand still for long periods of time in search of food, then quick as lightning they spear a meal. A lovely offering.

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  33. ‘herons that flap their wings
    like broken umbrellas against spring rain.’
    -such a perfect description. I do love to watch herons in flight, or standing still. The future certainly looks frightening and (hopefully) beautiful right now.

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    1. Thanks Ingrid! In September, when the local walking group wasn’t grounded by Covid, we saw a heroin standing in the middle of a field, which suddenly took off. It was an amazing sight.

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