Listen to the River

Daily Note

Every day, a photograph, a poem. The picture above is the Columbia River, in this place Lake Roosevelt, the reservoir behind Grand Coulee Dam. I have many photos at different times of the year: winter, spring, summer, fall, each present a different take on the same spot. This day, it’s the expanse, the big sky, and the colors of the river as the weather and the wind play tricks on our eyes that can spin stories in our imagination.

Stories for this river have not been lost. Many books, articles, and websites have been written about this river and the dam. One story I found today is a story of one of the eleven towns that were victims of the rising waters: Gifford. The town was founded by a man from Lansing, MI. Only two buildings were saved, the reset demolished.

Another story is how Grand Coulee Dam helped success at winning World War II, something to think about this Veterans Day as we honor those served. This dam helped their efforts. As stated in this article about the building of the dam, Grand Coulee Dam: Leaving a Legacy, “President Harry Truman said, “Without Grand Coulee and Bonneville dams it would have been almost impossible to win this war.”

Rivers have stories, and so they do in my novel for which I write each November — a poem a day plus writing 1667 words every day for NaNoWriMo. [for more information see my post: I Write]. I repeat: rivers can spin stories in our imagination.

And so, a poem:

Poetry

Listen to the River

Listen to the river, child.
Listen well and long.
Watch the swirling force of life
Spin it’ story song.

Sometimes the river’s angry
And it swells and swallows all;
Sometimes the river’s warning
And its current is a call;

Sun or rain the colors glint
Of what the river tells
Listen to the river, child.
Listen long and well.
Sheri Edwards
11.11.23 315.365.23
Poetry/Photography
NaNoWriMo