river rose

a tiny sun within the folds of your dress, simply made, 
afforded scant decoration. these mountains hold no secrets 
beyond the art of rivers searching for the next bend, 
the downward rush, alluvial 
and well-spent. 

in the eclipse of your throat, harmony is transparent. 
in the cloistered forest, pan-pipes give breathless arias. 
moments such as these, transfigured by imagination; 
children the lifeblood springing from willows 
beyond the next riverbed.

to the ocean, this journey is yours. to the dusty grave, 
each touch is gold, mead goblets and circlets traced 
with filigree, vermillion rose; the history 
of your body, given communion, 
buried below. 

Reviews

[Emily B]

oh, oh, how did you know that I travelled several hundred miles and fell in love with a river in a city of roses? how could you know?

you know that I will come back to words like these

[Phibby Venable]

excellent work & very beautiful.

[W.k.kortas]

The visual nature, the reference to color, the seeming non-sequitirs that work so well (e.g., "the eclipse of your throat", harmony as "transparent"). It's as fine a valedictory piece as I've ever read.

[Alicante lullaby]

so so so beautiful...