Monday, June 14, 2010

rivers

if a river
spoke in a music
other than that of its own making
what might it sound like

if that music
described the passing
of all the moments

of the river's experiencing?


the water i drink
was once in the ganges
flowed down the side
of an english cliff
was nestled under a rock
on the siberian tundra

what if
i were to learn all of its stories
as i drank it
into my body?

~

here is a piece of music
featuring the work of vernon reid
and the extraordinary voice

rivers

17 comments:

Elisabeth said...

Stunning Steven, music and words like the river itself as evidenced in the blue of that amazing ball, all rivers rolled into one.

Valerianna said...

Love the "what if I were to learn all of its stories as I drink it into my body?".... have you seen this video?

http://www.goldeneagleceremonies.com/songs/water.html

Interesting info about water and how it can change its structure... and there is a bit in there about the "stories" water carries....

Noelle said...

It is a profound thought. It made me think of two things. First, Langston Hughes famous poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers. Here is a link to the man himself reading it. http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15722
And finally these famous lines from Norman Maclean's A River Runs Through It, "Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters." Beautiful music choice Steven.
Noelle

Reya Mellicker said...

I believe very sincerely that you already contain all that wisdom. You are 98% water, you know. It's all there. Thanks for sharing it with those of us who thirst so much for that wisdom.

Okie said...

Great poem. The thought it presents is really cool and could lead to some great ideas. I have a very vague memory of a book from my childhood (a 'little golden books' book maybe?) that followed a fish or something as it floated down a stream and experienced all sorts of cool things along the way.

Dan Gurney said...

some word assemblages need to be dismantled and done away with. One here in the US is "waste water." Like "oil production" and its kin these phrases reveal a fundamental error of fact.

All water is recycled. The "pure" water we drink once went through dinosaurs and out the other end. Again and again.

Thoughtful, thought provoking post.
and I love the vernon reid music sung by marta sebestyan. Thanks!

Friko said...

Whenever I feel tense or under pressure, all i have to do is come here and immerse myself.

This music and the singer are new to me, a wonderful discovery.

Dan Gurney said...

With apologies for leaving two comments, I saw the video that Valerianna recommends

http://www.goldeneagleceremonies.com/songs/water.html

and I found it worth watching. It's a bit long (about 1 hour and 20 minutes) but worth watching.

Thanks Valerianna!

steven said...

elisabeth - here i am sunburnt and raw from a day of track and field with a herd of five hundred kids. the idea of a cool river of thoughts and ideas and experiences all tumbling into one is so ripe and real!!! vernon reid is an incredibly talented guitarist. it's hard to say where he is in this piece but marta's voice is glorious and eastern european. steven

steven said...

valerianna - i started the video this morning and i will view it in its entirety this weekend. i am very grateful that you took the time to connect this thought to something tangible and as extraordinary as this film. i hope that other comment readers make that same journey! thankyou. steven

steven said...

noelle what a find! i listened to the video this morning over breakfast. oh my! norman's words are as gobsmacking as ever. steven

steven said...

reya - i share what i am learning here. oh and when i visit some blogs and it's just what i know for now. that's all. you know how you know stuff for now. because it gets refined. simpler. nobler. more elegant as it unfolds, right!! so here it is . . . . steven

steven said...

hey okie when i was a kid, i experienced a video - "paddle to the sea" about a canoe that floated from a little stream to the big sea. not the same but then again . . . the same!! steven

steven said...

dan it's the purest flow. endless and without expectation. steven

steven said...

there you go friko! i'm happy that this is a space for you to find peace and goodness. it's my hope. steven

steven said...

dan - i've booked it for this weekend when time is more available. write often. i'm always glad to see your name - and your new little picture is so very good! steven

Linda Sue said...

What Reya said- YES!
I love the idea of becoming the wisdom of the river by drinking water that once was not funneled through a silvery tap...though that is also a wisdom, I suppose.