Canoeing on the Cannon River

[Lake]

Pushing away low branches, spider webs,

I see new leaves and bright flowers

blushing out of a hollow tree trunk,

flashing past as we paddle on.

 

Down the stream in the middle of the current,

a little raft floats on the stillness of swirling water,

a fishing rod cast aside, unattended,

as if waiting for those willing to be hooked.

 

In the distance, an upset boat tosses

her master into a sudden splash.

How could someone grown up by a great river,

fall, in disbelief, in this shallow estuary?

 

I let go of my paddle and lean back.

[tonyv]

I like your ability to take an ordinary event and turn it into a poem, Lake. Canoeing on a river -- it sounds like fun, but I don't think I would have got a poem from it. Your powers of observation and contemplation are obviously keen. I'm curious ... Did you write this on scene, after the fact in nature or elsewhere, or was it pure imagination?

 

Tony

[Larsen M. Callirhoe]

i have a good memory lake and could write poem from such a event but you made this read very worthwhile andenjoyable as tony said youdid well writing about a ordinary event. you never know where inspiration comesfrom.

 

thank you. the poem flowed and had a sweet rhythm. loved it.

 

victor

[RHommel]

Hi Lake,

 

I love this painting. Your poem really captured the details that make up this scene... I especially liked the bit about the spiderwebs and the bright flowers in the tree trunk catching your eye as you went past. Very soothing to me... and for some reason this poem also made me look at your avatar photo and remember a very similar scene in an incredibly vivid dream that I had many years ago. This one gave me lots to think about. Thank you!

 

~Rachel

[Lake]

I like your ability to take an ordinary event and turn it into a poem, Lake. Canoeing on a river -- it sounds like fun, but I don't think I would have got a poem from it. Your powers of observation and contemplation are obviously keen. I'm curious ... Did you write this on scene, after the fact in nature or elsewhere, or was it pure imagination?

 

Tony

 

Hi Tony, Victor, Rachel

 

Thank you for your comments. We did go canoeing on a weekend, we felt so relaxed in the nature. I never paddled before, but volunteered to sit at the back to steer the boat. Guess what, the boat kept spinning in circles. Thank goodness, we got help from our friends and in the end I was pretty good at paddling, but would not offer anything that I'm not good at in the future. There were laughter and surprises on the river for the 3 hour's canoeing.

 

Tony, I do try to write something out of ordinary, but I find I'm not able to write what I want to say, or fail to see anything deeper from a simple event. Ah, another quirk from me.

 

Victor, yes, there are many good memories that need to be written up.

 

Rachel, glad you like the picture and the imagery.

 

Thank you all!

 

Lake

[goldenlangur]

Hi Lake,

 

 

This is a most delightful write. Full of lovely details and such a great lightness of touch! Your closing line is superb and lets the poem carry on in the reader's mind after the read.

 

 

A paradox that plays on the mind:

 

the stillness of swirling water,

 

Thank you.

[Aleksandra]

Great experience, Lake and good capturing of the moment. You have gifted hand to write wonderful poem that always gives such a pleasure to read.

 

Aleksandra