FlowThis poem describes the flow of the Irfon river |
CloudI come from mistfrom air from sky-damp smothering hammering down on the stationary earth I come in wetness in the fullness of air unburdening BogI gather on blade, on stone, on sheep, on woolseeping into earth trickling into darkness weighing the ground with the wetness with soak I come into land heavy, heavy, heavy with the dampness StreamOut of soakout of seep I gather drop by drip into tiny trace, into streak, into silver thread I run I gather faster pace by pace into rivulets into stream into brook leaping dashing down over rock flinging shining in sun cantering I come into the breakneck gallop of life, living running free Forestinto darknessinto tree into the tall place I clatter but shrink down into my blackness, into my wetness, into my fastness hurry past and I come out into light PoolI fallOh! through light Oh! through bright Oh! through air heavy clattering on rock into myself into darkness deepness depth wait in the cup of earth silent before fullness swells me and I come into the lip of running clatter splash and rush yet more LifeI am lived inI breathe Insect skips over me drops into me births And birds swim in me Dipper and Kingfisher and Heron still as tree and splash, the Otter chasing fish The roots turning, turning, wreathing All lives in me I come and bring life FieldI flowI smooth I run and sweep around meadow horse hedge and gate the measured land I come into man's world Manpast roadunder bridge rush and race and running fast tangle of fence plunged in me detritus Then past brick past building (stationary and strange no sway no change) but smell of man seeps into me foaming sticky I cannot sluice it but I come clattering through village through farm through man and all his means WidenessI fillI drench I flow I suck stream and ditch and leech of land I swell I bend I come strong and full and deep tree-banked dark watered irresistible I am Irfon I come I flow into gushing river into sea into ocean into world I come I flow and I am Irfon |