When winter turns spring,
shall I still be here?
A certain music
sounds ever more clear –
sometimes alarming,
sometimes tender, dear.
The river,
once wide to cross,
dwindles: a stream
I could step over with a toss
of my hair. But –
gain or loss?
A quadrille written for dVerse Q227. (44 words exactly, excluding title, with one compulsory word, in this case 'turn,' and its derivatives.)
I am 'of a certain age' and recognize the question and ambiguity in this lovely poem. Nice!
ReplyDeleteYes, at 'a certain age' one gets to thinking ....
DeleteRosemary, I like how this can be a personal poem yet can also be a universal poem, as every person, at some point, will reach that place at the stream. Beautiful poem with gentle pondering.
ReplyDeleteThank you, my dear!
DeleteI agree with Jade, a universal poem indeed.
ReplyDeleteThat's so very gratifying to be told!
DeleteRosemary, this speaks to me as a gentle reckoning. That final question—gain or loss?—feels like it echoes far beyond the riverbank.
ReplyDeleteMuch love,
David
SkepticsKaddish.com
Thank you. A very octogenarian question, perhaps.
DeleteI was very touched by this poem - intimations of mortality at every turn
ReplyDeleteIt's natural, I think, at my time of life. It's very nice to know my words touched you.
DeleteI agree with Li, a personal and universal poem. As we get older, it's difficult not to think about this at least a little bit.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's OK to think such thoughts, I believe. They need not be morbid.
DeleteRosemary this is lovely- this line is particularly beautiful “ I could step over with a toss
ReplyDeleteof my hair” - (AJ)
Thank you!
DeleteOcean; River; Stream; Trickle. Me, standing there on the edge, wondering if it's time to step across. Fine work, this. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteSome people have to wait until they reach "a certain age" before it suddenly hits them, like my partner, but I have been watching the width of the river since a teenager - I don't know that it has changed me much but
ReplyDelete"A certain music
sounds ever more clear..."
Very mindful of you! But probably good if it hasn't changed you much. I forget which wise sage it was who said that we should try to live every day as if it was our last and, simultaneously, as if we would live forever.
DeleteA delicate pondering, Rosemary, and well turned. Gain, I hope :-)
ReplyDeleteI hope so too!
DeleteThere's a peaceful wisdom to this. To every season...
ReplyDeleteYes, I am sure it is related to my season.
DeleteAh, the intimations of mortality! I feel that at times we become so lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday living that we forget to stop and appreciate the finer things in life. May we make each moment count ❤️❤️
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sanaa, I think that is the true wisdom.
DeleteThe river, the stream is becoming a slow trickle .. I hope with all my heart I am here long enough to meet great-grandchildren, to see our country become a democracy once again .. however, I am coming face to face with the reality you so beautifully showcase in this poem.
ReplyDeleteI think, though, it is probably a good thing if one does not feel quite ready to leave. It means we're still enjoying the heck out of this life! (The small moments of it at least, if not the bigger view.)
DeleteI like the cyclical nature of your poem, with the winter turning to spring, then the dwindling of the river.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Delete