"The river flowed from century to century, and human affairs play themselves out on its banks. Play themselves out to be forgotten the next day, while the river flows on. "
Milan Kundera - The Unbearable Lightness of Being



courses

where can a river flow?
according to human beliefs
it has to go drown itself
into some sort of sea
where its' fluidity is suddenly
disarticulated
and where fish don't care
about points of origin
or having to swim upstream.
there are rivers that
literally throw their being
into the universal oblivion,
crossing tombstones made from
cascading iridescent foam
and screaming to anyone who
once in a blue moon
may wonder about their impetuousness
"on my way to be recycled!"
there are also rivers that
seem to grow roots
in the bosom of your gaze,
perfect appearance of stillness,
wishing probably,
with a shade of sorrow under their ripples,
that for once in their lives
the ignorant staring at them
would become aware
of their need for individuality
and how entire pages of their witnessing
will be turning to nothingness
once they go over that liquid threshold.
eventually though
all rivers are meant to melt
in the arms of some sea
under the pretext of natural laws.
but when there isn't such a sea
or when what you thought it was a sea
was merely a poor puddle,
unable to contain such an amount of consciousness,
then the river
has to birth that sea for itself –
those rivers
could easily be taken
for gods...




Poetry by Lilly Negoi
Read 485 times
Written on 2012-11-27 at 17:46

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I loved that book 'Unbearable Lightness' and the film that was made from it.

This is a very well-composed and unique rendering of a classic poetic image--the river. There are some very good lines here and a lot of food for thought. Love the water imagery, puddle, the sea, the river, ripples, etc. and how the sea must 'drown itself.'

William
2012-11-28


countryfog
As one who loves rivers, as they are now and as they are remembered, I have often come to them, crossed over them, occasionally canoed them, but never have I been transported down one so evocatively and articulately, never entered into its presence and consciousness as you have. This is simply a stunning poem.
2012-11-27