River That Flows Both Ways
River That Flows Both Ways
Let me come with you
To learn
About moving, dancing and rhythm
About letting go and holding on tight
About making and filling space
Let me see all that you cradle in the palm
of your hand
The bass, blue fish and crab
Bounty for the herons and bald eagles
Barges, planting themselves for what seems
like eternity
Motor boats, speeding by in an instant
A lone fisher, creating her own sense of time
Fresh water and salt water
Mixing together
And blue sky above, forming a ladder to the
heavens
River That Flows Both Ways
Show me how you ebb at one moment
And in the next, turn towards high tide
Your length and breadth and longevity
Constantly changing and yet always the same
Source of life for some and a final resting place
for others
Your calm and quiet
Your motion and commotion
The simplicity and grandeur you exude at the
same time
You bridge worlds and waters
Making the impossible seem possible once again
With your offer of a welcome home
River That Flows Both Ways
Teacher and Wise One
Great Water in Constant Motion
Thank you
For the gesture and the reminder—
When we simply are and do not unthinkingly do
When we embrace and do not fight against
When we decide to truly see rather than look away
Then we are choosing life and love and connection
Then we are re-creating and returning to the primal
peace and to the life-giving waters that reside
within each of us
Rachel Landsberg
New York City, New York, USA