The river’s born from restless rain,
it grows and gathers strength
a source of tears that’s infinite
The river giggles over rocks to rest,
embraced by bogs in mountains where
river’s born from restless rain.
The river jumps, cascades in silver froth
from mountain over plains to sea
it grows in gathered strength.
The river slows to sloth in silt, and
meets the sea as sluggish serpent,
a source of tears. It’s infinite.
Amaya hosts at dVerse Poetic and inspires us to write about cascades, and as extra challenge we can write this in the cascade form.
—
April 2, 2019
Björn Rudbergs writings 
The river running is a good subject for a cascade poem. I like it.
The river runs in endless repetitions.
It does.
Your poem makes me think of the Buddhist dictum of all life as suffering. Here we have this endless cycle of River and even as it laughs and gathers strength, its source is tears: infinite sadness.
The joy of jumping the sadness of crying… exactly as life is.
Beautiful imagery as always.
exquisite!
The river slows and saddens as it ages – maybe some of us do that as well? It’s a great subject and you handle the form very deftly.
I love how you combined the form and the thematic, it also reminded me of something, a proverb, many of my family members used to say; I don’t remember it very well, but it went something like The shallowest waters are the ones which run the fastest and the ones in which you are most likely to drown.
It looks like we were on the same wavelength, Björn, and not for the first time! I love the infinite source of tears, the giggling river and the wonderful sibilance in the ‘river slows to sloth in silt, and / meets the sea as sluggish serpent’ – a gorgeous rush of water!
I think rivers are endlessly fascinating. I loved following the passage of this one, giggling, tear-filled, jumping–and you did the form well. It seemed effortless.
I love the image of restless rain that runs through this.
Water, rain, river, the sea–the infinite (we hope) water cycle; a perfect place to plant cascade. Small correction maybe–second line, second stanza–“were” becomes “where”? And the last line–I’s becomes It’s?
The word smithing and imagery are off the chart.
Nice illustration of the form.
You’ve danced a dao of water, appreciating its nature.
Admiring the infinite movements of the river from restless to jumping to slowing to sloth in silt. The form is so well done, with the slight change & emphasis in I’s Infinite.
I love these lines/phrases:
“The river’s born from restless rain”
“The river giggles”
“cascades in silver froth”
The river slows to sloth”
“It’s infinite.”
This was wonderful Bjorn, had a yin yang essence – balenced.
Nicely done. I especially like this line,
“The river slows to sloth in silt, and”
Great word combination.
That did work very well in the cascade form. ANd I love “The river slows to a sloth in silt.”
The last line is touching.
Your cascade reveals the river’s character from merry to melancholy, lilting to languid…infinite facets, infinite flow.
I love how you changed the last line – from “that’s” to “It’s”. Just that one word change deepened the meaning of the poem for me. Bravo, Björn!
Rivers go through different stages just like all life…the circle that returns to itself. The cascade form works well for that feeling.
I love the river giggling over rocks to rest.
a slow steady cascade of a restless rain, but the force was tangible, it is tamed on his journey, what i feel a cascade becomes eventually, very nice Bjorn
I can feel this