River

.
a river flows through the center of town
still in the pond behind the dam
as everything is before—
but lunatic as it tears through the gorge below
after a long rain, furious and deadly as a wild boar
it breaches banks in a hurricane
always here, ever moving
tranquil or in a rage,
shifty, sure— age
does not stunt
its allure

Jim Culleny
11/27/19

Photo by Martin Yaffee