Saturday, July 30, 2011

The water stood silent


Reflecting emptiness,
the water stood silent,
still, pooling beneath
words spoken too soon.
A time once, you said,
a time, you said, long past,
carried by the stream
to the forgotten sea.
The bridge arched an eye,
blinking back a fall of tears
on an early winter’s day.


This poem is submitted for the Saturday Poetics at dVerse Poets. Today’s prompt is water. You can read the prompt information at the site, and see other poems submitted here.

Photograph: Bridge at St. Mary’s Loch, Scottish Borders, by Michael Drummond via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

i think that bridge has a lot of stories to tell.
i see a shape made of brick and tree limbs around the little tree on the right.

hedgewitch said...

A very elegant re-telling of 'water under the bridge.' There's a sense of loss predominating, even as the stream carries it away.

Beachanny said...

Love the personification of images in this Glynn, the bridge an eye full of tears about to fall. Quite beautiful.
Gay

Brian Miller said...

love the personification...words spoken too soon...that is heavy as it is familiar...the bridge arched an eye...nice touch...

Scarlet said...

like the picture and these words:

"The bridge arched an eye,
blinking back a fall of tears
on an early winter’s day."

lovely ~

S. Etole said...

a reflection of sadness made clear in the water's face ...

Unknown said...

I keep reading this over and over, letting it sink in. Such sadness felt as I read. Lovely :)

lynnmosher said...

Such melancholy. The photo reminds me of the bridge we had on our farm. I loved that place. Wonderful poem, Glynn.

Tashtoo said...

The same lines as mentioned above speak to me as well, the reader arches an eye, and says WOW! Great write, Poet!

Anonymous said...

Lovely elegy, thank you for sharing it.

Patricia said...

oh, how we remember those words. This holds such wonderful imagery... a beautifully written, sad poem.

Sheila said...

I hate to repeat everyone else but the bridge's arched eye jumped off of the page at me. very impressive. I am wondering about this forgotten stream...sounds like not all words made it there...

signed...bkm said...

Just lovely the arching eye and the fall of tears...nice metaphor Glynn...love it..bkm

Unknown said...

Lovely ....somethings are better washed away

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of the bridge arching an eyebrow. Fine poem

Anonymous said...

Photo in it's self is moving I love it. Your words help to give us a bigger picture

Anonymous said...

"The bridge arched an eye,
blinking back a fall of tears"
Excellent imagery perfectly matched by the photograph.

Words left unspoken stagnate in the heart.

Anonymous said...

Passionate piece... stirring emotions. Lovely words.

Anonymous said...

Beautifully clear images - loved it!

Anonymous said...

How moving!
The soft melancholy - "... long past, / carried by the stream / to the forgotten sea." Yet, the time, the words, "the sea" haven't been forgotten.
"The water stood silent,/ still," - "still" meaning however? The water is motionless while there is a contradicting underlying movement, i.e. the "pooling... (of the) words."
At the same time, another reading is that "the water stood...still," here "still" could mean quiet, which is also in direct contrast to "words spoken..." beneath;

These contradictions are like the underlying memory and they continue with the tears that aren't held back (yet there is a waterfall), all leading to the "forgotten sea," which hasn't been forgotten at all.
I love it all, and "The bridge arched... eye."
I feel it stirring inside.
Thank you.

Other Mary said...

This one has touched me. I especially like: 'water... pooling beneath words spoken too soon' that is such an amazing phrase.