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 ~
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...
ReplyDeleteThe river turns into ice during winter, smiles ~
DeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteNice post, great blog, following :)
ReplyDeleteGood Luck :)
Spammer get the hammer
DeleteOh so good, these are amazing!
ReplyDeleteLovely images, Grace. I'm not sure I would have guessed the riddle without the title, but it all fits together so well.
ReplyDeletehaha nice ones, not sure i would have guessed river right away, thanks for the pic and not making me think too hard haha
ReplyDeleteNo need to think about the answer Pat, smiles ~
DeleteI might not have guessed river but the my tongue is a serpent made me think river...seems so apt. Nice poem!
ReplyDeleteThese are cool descriptions of your river. Don't know that I would have guessed, the old woman threw me off. This was fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback ~ May have to revise that part ~
DeleteSo much truth and so much wonderful narration Grace! The river is a savior!
ReplyDeleteHank
lovely, Grace - both as poems and as riddles
ReplyDeleteI like the second one the best...but, you will never see me weep..the river is already filled with tears..no need to weep..
ReplyDeleteThanks for the poetic reply, smiles ~
Deleteamazing Grace!!xo
ReplyDeleteGrace, 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
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful, Grace. Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteOh, excellent Grace! That first line of the first one...;)
ReplyDeleteWonderful! 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. :-)
ReplyDeleteoh but I would love to see the river, face to face
ReplyDeleteAdore how you became the river!
ReplyDeleteI'm no poetry buff but this spoke to me. The photos are beautiful too, especially your header of Vancouver.
ReplyDeleteI like both; while both carry deep tropes, the second is deeper still, making the "answer" that much more flavorful when revealed / discovered
ReplyDeleteBeautiful expressions and a puzzle in itself:)
ReplyDeleteoh nice...very cool way to describe a river grace...love the old woman image especially
ReplyDeleteThese river descriptions are very nice and cool.. Love the old woman image.
ReplyDeletehaunting, actually ... to never see the face or the tears of wisdom
ReplyDeleteI have been at that canal more times than I can remember. Grace please no W word right now. I feel the chill a'ready.
ReplyDeleteLovely Grace!
ReplyDeleteI love the contrast between the two and also the similarities in the final line of each one.
ReplyDeleteBoth lovely, moody word pictures. Very nice.
ReplyDeletethis is brilliant
ReplyDeleteLove the turn to the second para. Such contrast! powerful and profound!!
ReplyDeleteLove 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 :)
ReplyDeleteincredible simplicity that transforms into deepening inquiry ! Bravo in its movements !
ReplyDeleteOh 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!
ReplyDelete...'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...
ReplyDeleteThis is just lovely, Grace. Very serpentine, graceful, understated. k.
ReplyDelete