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Open Poetry #33
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Cement River
| Open Poetry #33 |
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Cement River |
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Ratleader
since 2003-01-23
Posts 7026Visiting Earth on a Guest Pass 
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Cement River No trout ever danced here in a flash across the rippled moss, or rose to mayflies under sprays of dappling aspens; trout, nor catfish. Even carp would leave this place, grow legs and walk it if they could, or dying, flush out to the ocean, foul the beach and send the tourists home with ugly stories. Straight, deep, cut hard to speed the floods, it grabs the latent flow and flings it to the sea, the houses safe, waits echo dry for weeks of months until another blast, gray foam awash in plastic cups. A man could climb down here, walk dry to Yorba Linda; wave to the bums in overpasses, stomp the algae dust, chuck shopping carts into the razor channel. Even drown. This seems like a good time for a river poem, even if it's a repost....or if it's not. |
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| © Copyright 2004 Ed Ratledge - All Rights Reserved | |||
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JL Member Ascendant
since 2004-04-01
Posts 6128Texas, USA |
I had a picture of Los Angeles in my head as I read this. Good one. JL  |
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
Ed During the floods of l969, the river ran with things I could hardly comprehend...up in the mountain pass before it became cement, the San Gabriel was filled with washing machines and trees and bolders bigger then houses, and yes, with houses...front porches even. And now, it is hardly a trickle. Great imagery in this....sad how it is here in So Cal and rivers. |
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LeeJ Member Patricius
since 2003-06-19
Posts 13296 |
this not only breaks the heart but convinces me that I want to move way in the mountains of West VA or Northern PA where there are no people, strip malls, just pebble roads and no noisy neighbors screaming at their kids or playing boom boxes... Thanks Ed...good one! |
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suthern
since 1999-07-29
Posts 20723Louisiana |
I thank you for this repost, my friend... for I remember it well as one of your very earliest posts... I also remember that I was too intimidated by your talent to respond... and that was a disservice to us both. *S* I still can't find the words to do your poems justice... but I can tell you that your work is greatly appreciated. *S* Straight, deep, cut hard to speed the floods, it grabs the latent flow and flings it to the sea, the houses safe, waits echo dry for weeks of months until another blast, gray foam awash in plastic cups. No one writes sharper images... or weaves them so well... Excellent write! |
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Enchantress Member Empyrean
since 2001-08-14
Posts 35113Canada eh. |
When all the superlatives have been used... may I just add.. Well done...thank you poet sir. ~Somewhere in my heart I'm always |
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miscellanea Member Elite
since 2004-06-24
Posts 4060OH |
Ed, Never do you disappoint the reader. Excellent imagery, feel... poetry! misc'e |
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iliana Member Patricius
since 2003-12-05
Posts 13434USA |
Yeah....what LeeJ said, I ditto. .....jo |
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Susan Member Ascendant
since 2004-03-27
Posts 5104walking the surreal |
Vividly drawn, I can see this, feel this, practically taste the air. susanHappiness isn't something that happens to you, it's created from within you. Joy is a state of mind. |
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LeeJ Member Patricius
since 2003-06-19
Posts 13296 |
Hey, Jo gave me a great idea...whataya all say we move to the back woods somewhere, by the water...start our own community...no phones, including cells, no TV's, and we'll all live the rest of our lives writing poetry, music, gardening...live off the land, raising our own range free steers, chickens, turkeys, pigs and whatnot. Free of chemicals...and I promise not to smoke around anyone? hehehehhehee |
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Dark Stranger Member Patricius
since 2001-03-19
Posts 13631West Coast |
some river scenes in this covered with ivy deep dark fishing holes of thought sir..well done |
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