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.
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21 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 30, 2011 at 3:21 PM

    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.

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  2. hedgewitchJuly 30, 2011 at 3:55 PM

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

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  3. BeachannyJuly 30, 2011 at 4:18 PM

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

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  4. Brian MillerJuly 30, 2011 at 4:18 PM

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

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  5. ScarletJuly 30, 2011 at 5:34 PM

    like the picture and these words:

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

    lovely ~

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  6. S. EtoleJuly 30, 2011 at 7:21 PM

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

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  7. UnknownJuly 30, 2011 at 7:25 PM

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

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  8. lynnmosherJuly 30, 2011 at 7:47 PM

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

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  9. TashtooJuly 30, 2011 at 9:12 PM

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

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  10. AnonymousJuly 30, 2011 at 9:55 PM

    Lovely elegy, thank you for sharing it.

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  11. PatriciaJuly 30, 2011 at 10:37 PM

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

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  12. SheilaJuly 30, 2011 at 11:47 PM

    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...

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  13. signed...bkmJuly 31, 2011 at 12:00 AM

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

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  14. UnknownJuly 31, 2011 at 8:21 AM

    Lovely ....somethings are better washed away

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  15. AnonymousJuly 31, 2011 at 8:39 AM

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

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  16. AnonymousJuly 31, 2011 at 1:30 PM

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

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  17. AnonymousJuly 31, 2011 at 2:48 PM

    "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.

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  18. AnonymousJuly 31, 2011 at 5:06 PM

    Passionate piece... stirring emotions. Lovely words.

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  19. AnonymousJuly 31, 2011 at 11:23 PM

    Beautifully clear images - loved it!

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  20. AnonymousAugust 1, 2011 at 8:06 AM

    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.

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  21. Other MaryAugust 1, 2011 at 5:26 PM

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

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