Thursday, September 5, 2013

River

 Rideau Canal, Ottawa City @ Grace

I.

red-skinned or paler than sky
my tongue is a serpent,
my bones, softer than sands
but you will never see my face

II.

in the aftermath of winter storm 
& howling winds, carved still by 
northern sky, i turn into an old woman,  
but you will never see me weep


Posted for D'verse Poets Pub - Riddles ~ Thanks for the visit ~

40 comments:

  1. ha. these are a very cool look at a river...i particularly like the first one...but the turning into and old woman is pretty cool as well...

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    1. The river turns into ice during winter, smiles ~

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  2. I do like both of these, Grace. Love the parallels in construction between the last lines of each stanza which made me think about the different facets of a river.

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  3. Nice post, great blog, following :)

    Good Luck :)

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  4. Lovely images, Grace. I'm not sure I would have guessed the riddle without the title, but it all fits together so well.

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  5. haha nice ones, not sure i would have guessed river right away, thanks for the pic and not making me think too hard haha

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    1. No need to think about the answer Pat, smiles ~

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  6. I might not have guessed river but the my tongue is a serpent made me think river...seems so apt. Nice poem!

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  7. These are cool descriptions of your river. Don't know that I would have guessed, the old woman threw me off. This was fun.

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    1. Thanks for the feedback ~ May have to revise that part ~

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  8. So much truth and so much wonderful narration Grace! The river is a savior!

    Hank

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  9. lovely, Grace - both as poems and as riddles

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  10. I like the second one the best...but, you will never see me weep..the river is already filled with tears..no need to weep..

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  11. Grace, you've breathed a life (lived) into the river I'd never contemplated-- I love when people show me a new way to see...a sinewy write! Thanks for sharing ~ Jason

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  12. Just beautiful, Grace. Just beautiful.

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  13. Oh, excellent Grace! That first line of the first one...;)

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  14. Wonderful! I liked the second one particularly, becoming an old woman and you will not find her weeping. But the arrival of spring would make her so. :-)

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  15. oh but I would love to see the river, face to face

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  16. I'm no poetry buff but this spoke to me. The photos are beautiful too, especially your header of Vancouver.

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  17. I like both; while both carry deep tropes, the second is deeper still, making the "answer" that much more flavorful when revealed / discovered

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  18. Beautiful expressions and a puzzle in itself:)

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  19. oh nice...very cool way to describe a river grace...love the old woman image especially

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  20. These river descriptions are very nice and cool.. Love the old woman image.

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  21. haunting, actually ... to never see the face or the tears of wisdom

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  22. I have been at that canal more times than I can remember. Grace please no W word right now. I feel the chill a'ready.

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  23. I love the contrast between the two and also the similarities in the final line of each one.

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  24. Both lovely, moody word pictures. Very nice.

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  25. Love the turn to the second para. Such contrast! powerful and profound!!

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  26. Love the first two lines of the first stanza (the second two threw me, but make sense after the fact) and the second is great! Don't know if I would have guessed river but it all makes sense now I know the answer :)

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  27. incredible simplicity that transforms into deepening inquiry ! Bravo in its movements !

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  28. Oh these are wonderful - and to have two different riddles-as-poems referring to different aspects of the same thing, the river, that is so brilliant! It inspires me to do something similar as well. A poem I wish I'd written!

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  29. ...'my tongue is a serpent'... 'i turn into an old woman'.... so true & the perfect words to imagine a river & its changing phase, Grace... i loved this... smiles...

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  30. This is just lovely, Grace. Very serpentine, graceful, understated. k.

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