Water Witching, We Hear
The rattle of stalks
along dirt roads,
whispery days
sifting through
parched
light,
you say
patience, my
friend, and again,
patience.
O at the Edges
Musings on poetry, language, perception, numbers, food, and anything else that slips through the cracks.
O at the Edges 
Beautiful poem. It brings to my mind the stillness of drought.
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Thanks very much. Living where I do, drought is never far from my mind.
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Patience, like rain, always seems to be in short supply when it is most needed.
Your words and imagery are lovely and bittersweet.
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Thank you, Carrie. Such scarce resources!
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Patience and Persistence make an effective team
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They do indeed, J. They do.
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…is a virtue.
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Ha. Yes!
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The water can happily witch its way back to Texas now, please… I need patience, too!
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Perhaps it will, with a “mazy motion.”
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I like the quiet, whispering, parched sounds of this.
(Here, the thunder is booming, the lightning flashing, and the rain is coming down so heavily that it’s hard to see out the windows. Not that I want drought, but a little bit of quiet would be nice now.)
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Thank you, Merril. We’re heading into what has traditionally been our rainy, stormy period. I wonder what will occur.
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I hope you get some gentle, steady rain.
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That is our hope, too. We’d like to avoid the flooding that accompanies the wild storms.
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Water witching reminds me so much of the time when I moved from Berkeley, California to a spot in the road in central Illinois and watched people witch for water for a new well in our yard. As if by magic the guy found some.
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I have used “divining rods” to locate underground utilities. My dad taught me that. I thought he was nutty when he told me what he was going to do. But damned if it didn’t work. And then I tried it and felt the rods turn in my hands. Magnetic forces in electricity, and all that. Still, it was impressive to a skeptic.
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I wish I could send you some of ours. Our ground has reached it’s saturation capacity.. the world and its extremes…
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We’ve finally emerged from our most recent drought, but I wouldn’t turn down some spare rain!
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Love the sounds of this one.
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Thank you, Susi.
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Just the exact sounds
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😀 That’s the goal!
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Definitely reminiscent of a drought and waiting for rains. I thought your poem was lovely, I appreciate it
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Thanks very much, Austin.
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i can’t put my finger on what the space does in this poem, it registers emotionally, but i can’t express beyond that register.
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I dunno. It may help to capture a hint of movement in the scene. That it registered emotionally is gratifying, as that is my reward.
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i think there is a subtlety to yhe shape which positions space & pause in such a way as to work on emotion alone; it has no definition it simply is.
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O, those manipulative poets!
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So much said with so few words.
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Thank you, D. I’m big on little, or something like that. 😬
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beautiful as always 🙂
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Thank you!
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Your poem captures long-ago walks through dry East Texas fields – sometimes with a divining rod. Thanks.
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I’m pleased that it captured those walks, Darryl! Thank you.
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Like waiting for a poem to speak to your pen.
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Patience!
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I love the images it conjures, that the you who whispers “Patience” might be some dusty scarecrow, some old and experienced farmer, or a even the young and beautiful water witch. By the way, your lovely cards came in today’s post and have been framed.. Thank you,
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Thank you, Angela. I’m so pleased it conjures images. That’s always my hope, but one never knows! And you’re very welcome. I appreciate your support and kindness.
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Awesome imagery, very compelling!
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Thank you, Mecca-Amirah!
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“whispery days sifting through parched light…” This describes a lazy afternoon nap in a shady Osaka apartment on an autumn Sunday, the kind where you are so perfectly and cozily half asleep you just can’t bring yourself to get up off of the shikibuton and go to Kyoto like you had planned… instead just remaining blissfully immobile as the fan whispers in the corner and outside the grebes are chattering in a nearby river. Dear God… it is like you have been an invisible watcher over my Kansai days!
先生は神ですか？:)
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Blissfully immobile sounds enticing at this moment!
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Compellingly beautiful, Bob.
Just got a new mouse so forgive my long silence.
Look for an email tomorrow.
Ron
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Thank you, Obi-Ron. I look forward to hearing from you.
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How to witch!
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Or not, as the case may be. 🙂
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I love this …I feel compelled by your words to wait for water…watching for the signs. There is energy in that kind of delayed wish fulfilment.
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Thank you. I’m so pleased you feel that way!
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