The River Doesn’t Stop on a Humid Afternoon

THE RIVER DOESN’T STOP

ON A HUMID AFTERNOON--BUT I DO

WATER AND AIR ARE MINGLED, AND

ALL THE SOUNDS I HEAR--

HUMAN, ANIMAL, ELEMENTAL--

ARE THICK WITH THE SUBSTANCE OF LIFE

ON THIS WATER PLANET

IT MAKES ME GLAD--

THIS IS MUCH MORE THAN I HAD A MOMENT AGO,

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD.

I HOPE THAT I SHALL ALWAYS HAVE

A RIVER TO STOP BESIDE,

TO REMIND, MORE THAN THE SEA, THAT

I AM ON A JOURNEY INTO ME

THAT I DO NOT AND CANNOT BELONG TO ANY CREED,

THAT I’M A WITNESS AND A CONSORT OF TRUTH,

SO HOW CAN I BELIEVE ?

SUNDOWN LOW SPILLS GOLD INTO THE STREAM,

I JUST RELAX AND GET QUIET,

KNOWING WHAT IT MEANS--

WATER IS SPEAKING IN THE LANGUAGE OF LIGHT,

AND IF I LISTEN JUST RIGHT

I GET THE PROOF--

I CANNOT HEAR

ANYTHING BUT TRUTH

I CANNOT HEAR ANYTHING

BUT TRUTH

I CANNOT HEAR ANYTHING BUT TRUTH

© Gerry Sackett, 2016

Stopping by the River
Photo by Tony Russell

Unbalance

There is a peace in the unbalance of stones at river bottom

Calm in the wind shifting

Tipping the body

Oh how I’d love

To recommit all my sins

In their raw sublime

You are the earth like everything before you

What you touched, you needed once

God called your name only once

There is a peace in reconciliation with what is

Calm in despair that is only

The shifting wind as it whispers.

© Michael Mahoney, 2012

Stones at River Bottom~Photo by Tony Russell

Language of Light

The river doesn’t stop

on a humid afternoon — but I do.

Water and air are mingled, and

all the sounds I hear —

human, animal, elemental —

are thick with the substance of life

on this water planet.

It makes me glad —

this is much more than I had a moment ago,

driving down the road.

I hope that I shall always have

a river to stop beside,

to remind, more than the sea, that

I am on a journey into me,

that I do not and cannot belong to any creed,

that I’m a witness and a consort of truth —

so how can I believe?

Sundown low spills gold into the stream.

I just relax and get quiet, 

knowing what it means —

water is speaking in the language of light,

and if I listen just right

I get the proof —

I cannot hear

anything but truth.

I cannot hear anything

but truth.

I cannot hear anything but truth!

© Gerry Sackett, 2012

A river to stop beside; photo by Tony Russell