Han River Poems : How Do I Get There From Here?

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Exchanging pleasantries,

Exchanging consideration,

Compromise and cooperation.

I know how to make the final touches,

A few sharpened lines,

A few brushed flourishes…

One doesn’t need a field guide to know,

And the other doesn’t need warmth for a technical show.

Perhaps they have both arrived at the place they’re going,

Through commerce they are growing,

As I sit on the riverside ledge, all-knowing.

But where can I step me down to feel the cool water?

How do I get there from here?

For looking from here is not the same.

Slopes of tall grass obscure a slippery path,

But if my thirst needs quenching,

I would stumble and go.

I’d take my time to touch the wetness,

Before these dry bones turn to ashes,

And the fascination of living passes.

So be one half of my dialectic,

Take the words out of my mouth,

But see me for more than a pigeon race to shore

From a ship, flying, to be seen no more.

Indulge me in non-profit ventures,

In exchange for new adventures,

Steps in journeys without hurry,

Interludes of passion,

And sensual flurry.

November 26, 2020

Han River Poems