Sleek reptilian river,

Valley’s arterial life giver

Running it’s course,

Brecon source

Roaring, dashing,

Boulder bashing

Wearing, grinding,

Twisting, winding

Bubbling, boiling,

Flooding, spoiling

Small; vast,

Turbulent past

Un-compliant; pandering,

Aimlessly meandering

Slowly moving,

Pebble smoothing

Leads; follows,

Beak dipping swooping swallows

Natural, fantastic,

Polluted with plastic

Mossy bank pillow,

Weeping willow

Wild, freed,

Japanese knotweed

Pools brimming

Summer swimming

Flies and midges,

Stone bridges

Shrub and tree,

Green arching canopy

Rocks and weirs,

Boating piers

Gushing, rushing,

Tree root brushing

Triumphantly raising its voice

To say

I am the Taff,

Here to stay.

—

River of Words

Les Allen is a member of the RCT Creative Writers Group.