Cascadence

Published on by Laura Bloomsbury 
Yet down we must go, the river and I
take our leave of the murky, midway world
far from these falcon hinterlands
now, muffled and watery are our steps
now a madhouse tumble

Such faith there was in that first dawning
cushioning of moss on rock
the breakthrough of nascent waters
and Curlew cries, enough to stop a heart
- yet down we must go, the river and I

Down where dazed and wool-rimed newborns
nuzzle yearly, leeward of sheltering ewes.
And guardian breath of dog and man blows
misty, like unheard words to God to please
take our leave of the murky, midway world

In a rush like raptor wings over boulder
and froth, the pell-mell pull and tumble.
Drop by watery drop, thin and bloodless 
arms reaching forth for Hiraeth
far from these falcon hinterlands

The valleys so mild and green as innocence
tempt time to loiter. Flat bedded meadows
full to flowering, where cows lean in to drink
the path ahead all silted, shallow banked
now, muffled and watery are our steps

A last turn into that stretch we know as death
eager as eels to finalize or as youthful salmon
in their first leap of faith. The wide bay's agape
with its swallowing seas; precipitous the plunge
now a madhouse tumble.
  • Hiraeth – from Welsh – a longing for home

For my MTB prompt: Cascading in Fives we are writing a Cascade style of poetry. It is a Hexaverse poem with quintain stanzas, reusing each line of the first stanza as a last line refrain in subsequent stanzas. There are no other rules, the topic is optional but I chose to mirror it with this riparian theme and re-use five lines as opener from my poem dedicated to Ted Hughes Hewing out some Hughes.

35 thoughts on “Cascadence”

  1. I love your cascadence, Laura, and that you’ve used lines from your poem dedicated to Ted Hughes. There are some memorable phrases, such as ‘murky, midway world’, ‘falcon hinterlands’, ‘dazed and wool-rimed newborns’, and ‘pell-mell pull and tumble’.

  2. Stunning and seamless. The lines that start, “Drop by watery drop…” and “The valleys so mild…” just two of a whole poem full them are my favorites. Laura, you do set the bar for us.

  3. Oh how lovely, Laura! You show us how it’s done to perfection. I love the pastoral imagery from nascence to senescence, especially the salmon “leap of faith”! Very moving poetry.

  5. Your poem flows very well. I enjoyed the recreation of creation as you take us on a tour of the Garden. And in the end we return once more as we pass on. Very well written.

  6. I especially like these parts:

    “the breakthrough of nascent waters
    and Curlew cries, enough to stop a heart
    – yet down we must go, the river and I”

    “like unheard words to God to please
    take our leave of the murky, midway world”

    “A last turn into that stretch we know as death
    eager as eels to finalize or as youthful salmon
    in their first leap of faith.”

  7. Oh, how I enjoyed your Cascade! I could feel the energy, the sounds, the rushing ~ I am blessed to have more that several huge waterfalls, hiking paths within easy driving distance ~ visiting is an overwhelming experience, which family and friends do, often. Thank you for an amazing challenge.

  10. This is a beautiful poem Laura. It took me on a journey down the river/through life. The final stanza is, in and of itself, a masterful piece of poetry within the wonder of the whole.

  13. You’ve painted a panoramic landscape of the journey we all follow, both inside and out, its ambivalences, contradictions, and inevitability. “Tempting time to loiter”–but who can succeed at such a task? And yet. (K)

    1. ahh you touched on our Faustian Achilles heel which I’d not noticed was there – another reason I appreciate feedback so thank you, Kerfe

  15. Gosh, Laura, you’ve managed to interweave imagery of nature with themes of transition and mortality… This is so poignant and evocative…

    ~David

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