Poetry Blog No 166 Rowing on a Lake

ROWING ON A LAKE

Most of the verses here have four feet per line and each stanza follows the form idea of the "Chinese Sonnet- "The usual Chinese poem is four lines. The first line contains the initial phrase; the second line, the continuation of that phrase; the third line turns from this subject and begins a new one; and the fourth line brings the first three lines together. Quote from http://deoxy.org/koan/88

Though there are no rhymes there are sound patterns of assonance and alliteration in the lines. For example- Chill breezes ruffle restful waters (alliteration the r sound is also in breezes) or the assonance of "eye" vowel sounds in Brave white high-riding over grey.

The lake in question was Narrabeen Lake in Sydney many years ago.

ROWING ON A LAKE 

Chill breezes ruffle restful waters;

Thick clouds dissemble a dome above.

As we leave shore a lone gull cries,

Brave white high-riding over grey. 

Green ripples push against the prow.

Seen-thin in sinuous, far prayer for fish,

A cormorant gives grace unto

The comic bobbing of a buoy. 

With sudden multitudes of drops

Rain-mist greys distances and patters

Wide patternings of growing rings

Upon the surface of the lake. 

We row toward land and sheltering trees

And beach on dark-grained sand and trudge

Into the centre of the centre island

And gaze upon the black shape of a dredge. 

So seeing the heart of the lake invaded,

We shrug and turn back to return

And row across rain-bubbled waters

Back to the streets from which we came; 

Back to the buildings and the buses,

Back to the shops and highway noise.

Away, away, we leave but carry

In image living nature-

Sand, earth and water;

Lake and sky.