A solitary
Tidied mass
Of medieval stone,
Fragmented,
Amorphous,
Cropped,
And neatly
Presented in
Modern-Dutch form.

Unpleasantly
Pressed between
Prison and plant
On reclaimed
Reconstructed pasture--
Well-removed
From the river
Once her purpose,
Her realm--
Unsuited, high, and dry.

Lone settled
Remnant of
The marshes
Primeval--
When Father Rijn
Truly was
The northern edge
Of an amenable
Mother earth.

And Singing
Solely now
An ancient
Reedy strain,
Lest Dort
Forget the
Blood, greed,
And coldness
Of her past.

02/17/2002

Author's Note: Op de Staart bij Dordrecht.

Posted on 02/17/2002
Copyright © 2025 Leonard M Hawkes