Hear the Meaning

The water flows bye so fast here,
But what advantage does that convey?
Is it a virtue of the water or
A compliment to the slope of the land?

As the Deschutes River crashes against the rocks
It makes an inarticulate roaring,
Frothing white, it gaily splashes and rolls…

It is only after listening carefully,
Patiently waiting for meaning to emerge
Do I hear and understand the river’s wisdom.

Earth’s surface, the surrounding terrain,
Holds water just as pure, just as wet
As that which dances past so
Eagerly on this gentle, early morning.

That water rests, protected from air,
Safe from those organisms that inhabit stagnant pools
Until the moment some eons after beginning
Its journey through all that dirt,
It seeps into a creek

Soon to join its neighbors in a stream
Chancing to flow into this river,
Then jumps and parades over these rocks
Frothing white in this maturity

“I gaily splash and roll rejoicing in this freedom.
I breathe the pure air and marvel at the diving swallows
As I cradle and nourish the beautiful ducks
With my happy and flamboyant Soul.”

I.J. Hall, June 13, 2004