Susquehanna

she flows under the bright sun and the gulls,

snaking through quiet pastures,

lapping against limestone.

she marches stalwartly through bleak winter,

ice floes across her breadth,

but beneath, she is raging.

poison runs through her veins,

flowing through her channels,

yellow foam floats, bubbling to her shores.

she is a wizened old woman,

a union soldier, a coal miner's bride,

coated with mud and washed in fresh water.

she holds deep secrets:

more ancient than the pyramids,

memories: explorers from across the sea

under her skin, mystery

hidden depths

unsearchable, what lies beneath.

swim deep, hands open

you can never fully understand