And Still It Flows: The Mighty Columbia

And Still It Flows

Long ago an occasional Ponderosa pine 

among the many sagebrush 

dotted the expanse of dust 

surrounding a village 

of tule mat lodges 

now a small town, 

both hugging the edge 

of the mighty river

A small white head 

pops up in the nest 

of broken sticks 

of fire-resistant pint 

high atop 

an abandoned 

telephone pole

Below, white foam surges 

atop indigo currents 

spinning in whirlpools, 

spiraling to a vortex 

that explodes into ripples 

erupting into white foam 

over indigo 

over and over 

like galaxies spreading 

across the universe

Above, two osprey on uplifting currents 

circling in an unseen funnel, 

with keen eyes searching before

diving head first within minutes, 

barbed foot pads grasping 

the squirming walleye, dinner ready

And mate’s sharp, piercing call

“Dinner is coming”

“I give you life,” 

rumbles the river

“and power” 

as it tumbles 

through the turbine 

spinning to light up 

the windows in the cluster 

of homes on its shore

While the ghost 

of salmon calls, 

“I am there no more.”

Sheri Edwards  

102221   29536521  

Poetry/Photography

https://whatelse.edublogs.org/2021/10/22/and-still-it-flows-writeout/

https://askwhatelse.blog/2021/10/22/day-589-and-still-it-flows/

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