Mississippi

She flows
unapologetic of her girth,
does not flinch
at barges scoring her surface
nor paddle boats laden with curiosity.

Confident in her fluidity,
she bears the secrets of life –
the sludge of humanity in her belly –
stirs the minds of merchants, and children,
tolerates those who gather at her banks.

The final word is hers – she knows –
no boundaries can contain her wrath
still waters rise and spill;
she is a dragon
Nature’s force,
and she is magnificent.

(‘Mississippi’ first appeared here in November, 2017.
Image my own. Not the Mississippi.)

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VJ

Permission to write, paint, and imagine are the gifts I gave myself when chronic illness hit - a fair exchange: being for doing. Relevance is an attitude. Humour essential.

37 thoughts on “Mississippi”

  1. Great reading! Wow this part and image:

    “Confident in her fluidity,
    she bears the secrets of life –
    the sludge of humanity in her belly”

    Another poem which shows of your amazing use of language. You got the touch!

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  4. Wonderful description of this mighty river. I lived near her shores, crossed her every week day for a year, living in Memphis and working in Arkansas. Calling her a dragon is so apt. I never once stepped into her waters full of eddies. I had a great respect for her waters. Once Memphis had a recreational spot called Mud Island that was in the Mississippi. It had a to-scale replica of the river that the kids (and me!) loved to splash in. It was a mile long and indicated all the cities along the river. Oh, good times. Thanks for ‘stirring’ the memories, VJ.

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  9. I should also have mentioned how nice it is to hear you speak this poem. It is always a treat to hear the creator of written work deliver their own inflections and nuances to it. Thank you.

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  11. Captiving words VJ and your Spoken word was… Well outstanding! All aspects of this post delight… Your words, your phone and your voice 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

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