Life Stages of a River

Rain falls on granite.
Glaciers unwind.
Snowflakes decrystallize.
A murmuring stream collects,
in the confluence of the melt.

A river is born.

Her banks expand.
Nutrients collect in the torrent.
Rocks tumble in the frothy whitewater.
Speed and power intensify,
with the reshaped swell of common elements.

A river grows.

Transformation is slow and muddy.
Men build obstructions,
harness the river with turbines.
Irrigation canals siphon liquid gold for crops.
Barges navigate goods over current.

A river is tamed.

Sediments build in the depths.
Reflections dominate.
A serene shoreline nurtures abundance.
The hasty flow has noticeably slowed.
Every mile traveled increases breath of verity.

A river ages.

Some vanish with anonymity in vast deserts.
Others clash violently into endless seas.
A few form rich, braided deltas.
Inland lakes, without drainage, capture some.
Geologists and children are in agreement.

All rivers end……….
Copyright © | Year Posted 2013

Poem

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Faslund Avatar
September 25, 2013 at 7:50 AM
Much truth---all truth---in this write. Imaging is spot-on and vibrant. And that is the underlying variant that makes a good poem...truth. Ending of a river is sad, as is dying. There ya go, you wrote the truth again. Way down Dulac way, in Louisiana, we have 'bayous'.
Jones Avatar
September 24, 2013 at 3:46 PM
Just had to read this Wayne...I live right between two rivers...you described them perfectly!..very beautiful to fierce when they flood....I have seen the water almost overflow one dam...vivid write...I enjoyed it a lot...and thank you for all your nice comments on my poems
Fiery Avatar
September 22, 2013 at 9:26 AM
I have read this poem before. ..hope u remember my comments . Once again a stupendous write...ur an erudite. ..cheers !
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