River Watching
Ellen Chia
Breeze-rippled or like ribbons
Of shadowy eels
Jiggling against the current,
The river carries on its back
A meandering train
Of hyacinth carriages
Bound for no station in particular;
Of these, some have disengaged
From previous mergers,
Awaiting in their respites
A fresh wind.
From time to time, passengers like
The Asian openbill stork
Disembarks after procuring its share
Of the river's bounty,
Grazing the cirrus field overhead
Or perching on the eyrie of
An old coconut tree -
The day is still unfurling
With its gifts and offerings.
Here on the river's bank,
One detects a sigh of contentment
Only to be drowned out
By the dirge-like strains
Of the Asian Koel.
The river smiles nonetheless;
A myriad of glittering teeth
Amid borrowed azure brilliance,
Executing tirelessly its
Mandate of conveyance.
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Ellen lives in Thailand and whilst pondering over the wonders and workings of her tiny universe finds herself succumb time after time to the act of poetry making.
Her works have been published in The Ekphrastic Review, NatureWriting, The Honest Ulsterman, Zingara Poetry Review, Poetry Hall and The Tiger Moth Review.
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