The Nature of Poetry
Paddle at rest, stillness
on the water induces thoughts
that weave through the moment.
A leaf floats by, the passing of years,
and a poem takes shape.
Memories and dreams filtered
through the eye of the moment
have their place on the page,
whether read or not, for who
would argue that thoughts, poetic
to the hand that writes them,
should not be expressed,
should not be shared
with the world at large
when they bring satisfaction
to the writer, as they should.
Pen to paper,
fingers to keys, words flow
and a heron takes wing.
This poem is my response to earthweal weekly challenge: THE NATURE OF POETRY,
which is to write about the nature of poetry.
rivrvlogr 
Simply beautiful. So glad you share your poetry! And also your river-floating experiences (vicariously enjoyed again and again.)
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Thanks, Jazz! 🙂
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This is lovely – especially beautiful, the heron taking wing.
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Thank you. I was pleased with that line.
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Yes — the moment holds both the observation and the flight, the breath and the poem. The final stanza is sublime. Thanks for bringin’ it to earthweal – Brendan
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Thank you.
There’s a subtlety waiting to be discovered.
And thank you for the prompt.
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Beautifully peaceful.
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Thank you.
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Beautiful words that must be shared!
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Thank you. 😀
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You’re welcome 😉
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This is lovely. I can visualize your experience and identify with your feelings. The last verse describes the urge to write poetry beautifully.
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Thank you, Suzanne. Sometimes the words are waiting to be heard, and all they need is the moment that holds them to be discovered.
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Beautiful poem, Ken. I love: “words flow
and a heron takes wing.”
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Thank you, Merril. That was one of my first lines, and I knew I wanted to write to it.
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💙
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You have captured the moment of poetic conception so beautifully in this gentle poem, Ken. I imagined you in your kayak, watching a leaf float by. It is at such moments that poems take shape. The final lines are exquisite.
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Thank you, Kim. There is inspiration in serenity.
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Process not product. A good mantra for poetic endeavors, and your poetic inspirations. (K)
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Thank you, Kerfe.
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Very well put, and a brilliant last line. More herons please!
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Thank you. Yay, herons!
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I like how you’ve brought nature itself into this poem on the nature of poetry. I think for many of us, when we write poetry, we are doing what comes naturally – that flow of words, from pen to paper or keyboard to screen.
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