This week, inspired by a new song from The National's lead singer, Matt Berninger, 'Ask For Water,' I went in search of water themed poems in my poetry vault. I wasn't exactly sure what I would find, not a deluge, but I was curious.
Here is some of what I found...
My Dad Was a Rain-man
I stood beside my dad one summer afternoon
Under the eaves of the back veranda
As indigo clouds
Blotted out the summer sky
And threw our world into warm shadows
Dad broke the silence
Can you smell the rain?
-It’s only minutes away
So we waited
Staring skyward
Listening to low rumbling of distant thunder
As lightning scratched the sky
And the clouds sprung leaks
Soon large, heavy droplets
Slapped the ground
Before a downpour drenched the day
Stripping dust from the air around us
Making everything fireproof
He knew rain my Dad
He could read the sky
I saw him do it once.
Alan j Wright
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Time Beside the Sassafras Creek
Occasionally
I stand still
Beside the muddy bank of the creek
Listening to the talking water,
White crested and sparkling
As it tumbles over rounded rocks.
Fish slowly reveal themselves
In the shallows
Swimming in silent circles
Resisting the current
Motionless for a time
Suspended in the flow
As if under a spell.
Suddenly
They are gone
In fish flashes
Under logs and fallen branches
Sheltering shyly.
The show is over
The light diffuses
Like powder in water.
I move away
My viewing over
For now.
That first poem, that lovely memory of your dad, is wonderful, Alan!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laura. That first poem is based on an enduring memory, so it pleases me immensely to think someone whose opinion I value, appreciates it.
DeleteAlan, you found some water-y treasures in your vault! I particularly love the one about your rain-man father.
ReplyDeleteIt's always possessed a touch of dampness down in the vault, Irene, but it never stops me delviing about. I'm glad you enjoyed the poem regarding my dad's ability to read the oncoming rain. The response has given me cause to re-assess its appeal to readers. Thank you for words.
DeleteWhat a fantastic mini-anthology!
ReplyDeleteOops. That was Mary Lee!
DeleteSo glad you like it, Mary Lee. I guess it is a mini anthology. You have given me a flood of thoughts.
DeleteWoah, that first photo...what a sky! And, the idea of a Dad reading the sky from the point of view of an admiring son is perfect. I love it. It makes me wonder what else my Mom or Dad could read that was other than print. I always get really good ideas from your poems. My favorite line? 'And silence claims the bay' I can feel that one.
ReplyDeleteLinda, so pleased that you enjoyed that poem about my Dad and the approaching storm seen through the eyes of a small boy. The thought you have raised regarding other things our parents could read piques my curiosity. I'm glad you get ideas from the poems I share. It is all about the universality of our respective thoughts and the perspective we share. I am frequently prompted in the reading of yours and other poets in this space. It's a stimulating environment in which to move. My mind is now all abuzz with possibility- thanks Linda.
DeleteAlan, all your poems from the vault bring such descriptive images.Your father, the rain-man, understood nature. "He could read the sky." Your water-themed poems are lovely.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked my watery selection of poems, Carol. It was fun to 'brainstorm.'
DeleteI especially love the intimacy of the first poem, Alan. And I could envision all of what you described in "Upon Fishman's Beach" even though we are many oceans apart.
ReplyDeleteThank you., Rose. Some themes possess a universal quality and water is no doubt in that category. The water was clear on this occasion, it seems.
DeleteI really love the one about your dad and the rain, Alan. My mother was a pluviophile too. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe poem about my dad seems to be garnering attention. It remains a clear memory from those far off days of my childhood. Love that you've mentioned that word again, Karen. Pluviophiles rejoice!
DeleteI am so impressed that you can go searching for a (any?) topic in your poetic treasure hoard and find it. I like the narrative quality of many of these poems. I feel like I'm right there with you and your dad, waiting for rain.
ReplyDeleteI credit my teaching background for the fact my poetry vault is relatively orderly, Tabatha. I still have to mount a search occasionally, but I generally have a fair idea where to start looking for them despite the vastness of the repository. The poem about my Dad and the approaching storm has resonated strongly with readers it seems. i underestimated it. I think. It's significant to me of course, but wasn't sure if it struck chord with others. Thank you for your kind words. Always appreciated.
DeleteWhat a delight to read your water poems as I listened to a creek (human-made) in my yard spill downhill into a small pond. Gurgle, rush, softens my day. I love that last stanza about your dad.
ReplyDeleteYou really placed yourself within the scene when reading these poems, Patricia. Glad you found the water refreshing...
DeleteEach one had a calmness in reading them. I especially like the poem about your father and reading the sky. It reminded me of watching the storm at the coast roll in this week.
ReplyDeleteThe poem about my dad has really hit the mark, Jone. The feedback has been affirming. It's good when what we read and can make connections. I'm glad the poems delivered a sense of calm.
DeleteI see a watery chapbook in your future!! I especially loved the one about your dad. So lovely...
ReplyDeleteAn interesting prediction, Liz. Ah, the dad poem is undoubtedly a favourite among readers.
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