26 October 2025

By Philip Kiuepper

The river said one thing,
then, immediately,
contradicted itself.
This went on repeatedly.
And repeatedly I gave up
trying to follow what it was
saying.
I had thought to test the water.
But the river was having none of it.
Was it a river right for rowing,
or, if not rowing, swimming?
Now that I though I heard
what the river was saying,
I should have brought a fishing rod.
Not that there was any guarantee
of fish biting .(The relationship
between a river and fish
is beyond my understanding.)
But what a river is running on about
at anytime is anyone’s guess.
The, suddenly, the river went calm.
Had the river slipped into mediation?
I waited. I waited
to hear just what the river
might have to say for itself.

(3 October 2025)