Wednesday, May 30, 2007

PT: Rivers



This poem is an old one, the first in a seven-poem series I was commissioned by BYU to write for an International Horn Festival. The fellow commissioned to write the music never finished, so it was never performed. But I got paid, just the same!

The Dreamers


The Great Bear slumbers
In a cave of stars,
The Little Bear, Aries the Ram.

The wind is a still sea.
The horned owl hangs
In chill air, feathers scarcely stirring.
He floats like a swimmer
Above the white bones of jackrabbits,
Over the winter burrows of field mice.

The mountains breathe
In the dark--a sleeping breath
Of hawk and fox,
Of wildcat and beaver.
The river is bleak, the shallows are ice.

Under the hill,
In a cave of granite and quartz-crystal
The black bear sleeps,
Keeps sleeping,
Patiently entombed in his deep
Burial vault.

Let him sleep. Let them all sleep.
Let them savor the brown earth-smell
Of their dreams.
Let them cling to the dim runes
Of dreams.
Let them range far, light-years distant.
Let them dream of spring,
Of moving water, of light,
Of the beautiful sons and daughters
Of air-dwellers and river-drifters
And cave-slumberers.

Let them dream.

.

19 comments:

Tammy Brierly said...

This is now my favorite of yours...wow! Loved the flow and imagery very much. XXOO

Pam said...

You write beautiful poems, truly. This one sings and speaks of my home.

Crafty Green Poet said...

from the constellations to the caves, I enjoyed this very much.

gautami tripathy said...

THis got me hooked after reading, aries the ram!. Being an aries, how could I not readit twice?

I loved the imagery. It took me on a whole lot of journey. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

This is so beautiful and spiritual.

Rose

xo

gautami tripathy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

love the connection for rivers to that of the stars...

Anonymous said...

It is a song all by itself. Haunting and familiar.

paris parfait said...

Fantastic poem - love how it depicts everything in nature is intertwined and throws in bits of history, as well. Excellent job!

Jim Brock said...

That last stanza floored me! Wow. I love the great build up, the big voice, as the poetry rises to the subject matter. Why is is that I suspect the composer couldn't match the lyrics . . .?

Thank you for this beaut of a poem.

rel said...

I enjoyed reading this poem!
I found it comfortable.
rel

Anonymous said...

That was really wonderful. I am really enjoying PT. There are so many talented poets!

Catherine said...

Oh, I think this would be wonderful with horn music. What a pity that part was never finished.

mareymercy said...

I love this! So many great lines and phrases I don't know where to start. Yep, you deserved to get paid for this one.

Deb said...

I could hear music. Beautiful imagery that goes right to my heart and soul.

Kay Cooke said...

This is a beautiful poem - breathtaking images.

z-silverlight said...

like this.
evocative imagery.
Certainly deserves music for it.

January said...

Too bad it wasn't set to music, but it still stands as a beautiful poem. Wow!

Pauline said...

and when they wake? can you imagine the horn section accomplishing that sound?

"let him sleep, let them all sleep. let them savor the brown-earth smell of their dreams"

perfect...