Under extremest skies, asundered mountains Rift through the mist and are gone. Marooned on a wall of vertigo, a single tree Hangs long pause. Below, a plummet down, Launching from a ravenous gorge, Oiled in a slide of moil and whirl, A river quickens, Its smooth intent of impetus and purpose Marbled with the lighter-darker Darker-lighter weave and shift Of switchback gravity flecked with foam. In thrust of flood it threats from force to force Until momentum, Pitched by a rock, a heave of opposition, Bursts splinter-spree, brief ice Collapsing as it falls and spills To the kick and jolt of lurch and gone, As rapids in a boiling purge Lynch down a chute to the avalanche leap Where water rolling water sprints a cliff. Crashing in sheer concussions, Brute water falls as waterfall, Gusting in spray and topple, Plumed with the gush of foam, with whitest gash. Hanging forever on the keynote of descent, It falls, The plunge of freezing steam Booming in broils, in light cascading To the terminal ravish of the rocks of descent. |
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