The Creek Below
On hill I perch, and look across –
A creek runs down below.
It’s hidden by the houses built,
By trees that upward grow.
This morning I heard sirens howl
Like wolves that move to prey,
But these had savior hopes at heart –
All four that came my way.
They did not come as far as where
The creek runs down below
On high, I watched them disappear,
Between some houses go
Two police and one fire truck
An ambulance – lights glow.
I wondered in my heart of hearts:
What creek runs down below?
Does it run red with someone’s blood?
Is it by anger fed?
Does it run wild with fear and woe
Is anguish at its head?
We realize, of sirens, lights,
That they with sorrow go.
And on this day, in unknown way,
Its creek runs down below.
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© Dennis Lange and thebardonthehill.wordpress.com, 2011.
The Bard on the Hill 
What an intriguing and unexpected use of the creek as metaphor for what flows through our lives, good and bad.
Particularly like the second last stanza. By the way is your creek still running?
Glad you enjoyed. No, the creek’s no longer running. It’s largely fed by underground water (I think) because there doesn’t seem to be a large area of land draining into it. The bottom half of the picture in my header is cut off and the trees that block the creek’s view would be in that last part. To the left of the road that runs by it, there’s a dam and it’s almost dry behind it – just two puddles that I can see. To the right, there must be another dam and there is still some water visible from the road there. I had 7/10 of a inch about 10 days ago and 8/10 of an inch two days ago. Helps the vegetation but not the creeks and rivers, etc.
I like this poem. Hmm, wonder what it is about creeks lately. Interesting that we both have used creek in our recent poems.
I wrote mine about a month ago. But it’s possible that the line “a creek runs down below” was part of my notes and I just finally built a poem around it. I can’t remember now. 🙂
Excellent work Dennis!
And I’m with Dennis O’Brien, the penultimate verse is my favourite… Great work Sir!!
Thanks!
[…] The Creek Below by Dennis Lange (thebardonthehill.wordpress.com) […]
[…] power to go out three times. But, who cares! We got 3 1/2 inches of rain. The creek below ( https://thebardonthehill.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/the-creek-below-by-dennis-lange/ ) was dry during the past summer, but is full today with a trickle going over the dam like it did […]