"The Rio Grande"

image found HERE

The Rio Grande

The river
no longer sings
restless with Apache war cries,
but hums memories
now and again
as tears
flood her banks
beneath slivered moon,
resurrects many a battle,
many a struggle
with ghosts of then
and now.
Faithful streams
swell her bosom -
the pleasure of some,
misfortune of others.
To navigate her
is to know her.
Few do.
And yet she nourishes,
unconcerned
whether Mexican
or American;
cradles the dead,
offers hope, life, freedom
when and if she can.

by Margaret Bednar, July 13, 2014


This is in response and linked to "Imaginary Garden with Real Toads -Sunday Mini-Challenge: Claribel Alegria ".   She is a poet whose poetry's themes are often political and social - a voice for those who don't have a voice (lost or denied) in political struggles.

I used a few lines from her poem "The Rivers" - specifically "the rivers no longer sing" and "cradle the dead".  My thoughts were on the current political crisis with the thousands of children crossing over into the U.S.A. from Mexico.  No matter what political views one holds, one must have empathy for these children being sent… and can really only try to imagine the desperation a mother & father must feel in order to do something like this.

HERE is a blog that has translated some of her poems.  "The River" can be found on the "IGWRT's" link.