The Wisdom of the Stream
is in the depths, unfathomable
murky, reminding me to be at ease
with what is unseen, unknowable.
The wisdom of the stream
is in the eternal flow
that moves along the sinuous channels it is given
does not stop to wonder why.
The wisdom of the stream
is in the stones of many colors and shapes
hard, grounded, steadfast
silent on the stream bed.
The wisdom of the stream
is in the life it holds in both rushing water and still pools
the fish, the newts, the striders, the larvae
the microscopic gatherings of cells that can only live
in water untainted.
The wisdom of the stream
is in its fullest form, overflowing its banks
showering life on land with its bounty:
sediment, oxygen, moisture, nutrients
its power to uproot the old gives seeds of promise
that lie in muddy wait the chance
to rise up into riparian renewal.
By Roxanne E. Bogart
Roxanne E. Bogart is a wildlife biologist and writer, whose poems have appeared in The Burlington Poetry Journal, Poetry Quarterly, and Naturewriting.com. She spends her personal time hiking in the woods and meadows of Western Massachusetts, where she gathers inspiration for her writing. Visit roxannebogart.com.