Lisa Masé
Wild Water
Dog River bulges
elegant like milky coffee,
ambles wide
between River Road traffic
and empty granite sheds,
rushing then slowing
into tiny ripples.
I remember Rishikesh
thick and hot,
Ganga so cold
I could barely
dip my toe at first;
just sat and watched
water buffaloes
eat mango skins
while the river
devoured my heart.
Then, thin sadhus arrived
to wash their red robes.
I dove deep, surfaced breathless
into that sacred world
where everything is so loud
you have to pray to hear yourself.
Wild water, shine me over
until I am a worn pebble
adorned in your changing grace.
About the writer:
Lisa Masé has been writing poetry since childhood. She teaches poetry workshops for Montpelier, Vermont’s Poem City events, co-facilitates a writing group, and has translated the poetry of writers from Italy, France, and the Dominican Republic. Her chap book, Heart Breaks Open, was published by the Sacred Poetry Contest.
Image: Surfacing by Nathan Ramer (2006- ). No medium specified. No size specified. By 2019. By permission.
