The Blackwood River -edited

[71degrees]

The Blackwood River


I should love to be the river
that sallies through these hills
and reflects the clouds in silver
ripples ridging. Taste the thrills

of growing wide with winter rain,
rolling around the bends,
flirtation with the bracken fern
and bushes as it wends

and winds its way along the banks
tree-lined, collecting leaves
to move downstream. Then with its thanks
murmured amidst the reeds,

it rushes by the boulders, tickling
the pebbles in its path
with bubbling and trickling,
a noisy streaming bath.

I should love to be the Blackwood
River, (that’ll be my wish)
refreshing anyone I could
and hugging all the fish.

Love geographic poems. If possible, I need to see it or have a reason for it. You're certainly trying. Read Big Two Hearted River / Nick Adams by Hemingway. If you haven't read it, I think you'd enjoy it. You're both after the same mood. "Bath" strikes me as an odd word (forced rhyme?) to use here. Since you ARE the river, why would you bathe in it?

I like the "active" language (e.g. -ing words, you have 10 or so). It makes the river come alive, for sure. Nothing wrong with "I'd" as someone suggests, but contractional usage would take away from the somewhat "older" language that I think you're trying to achieve. A "wishful" personification is a nice idea. Thanks for the read.