Anita K. Boyle

River Talk

Down at the river,
water quiver,

rock talks to rock,
slick click, whisper lisp;
Talks to water,
spatter chatter.

Water waits.
You talk.
You wait
to shiver
in the river
while the water bathes
rocks like a mother.

You wait some more.
Moss washing, slippery cold.

A Virgina Rail wades
and speaks in wheezy,
piglike grunts.
Oh, glean the fluent talk of river:

that clatter splatter,
the squeal.