The river sweeps out into a wide curve as it leaves town. On the longer, southern side the water is deeper and there are more shadowy, hidden places. The steep bank here is bordered by a line of grey-green willows and overgrown with tall, impossibly lush, grass. There are clumps of nettles too, and elder, and foaming meadowsweet.
Early morning stillness can be deceptive. Fish, dozens of them and some quite large, gather beneath the overhanging branches of one of the willows, away from the midstream tug of the current and safe from human intrusion.
Spreading circles on the surface provide the first clue. Then, an occasional splash.
And you peer down through the grass and nettles to where the delicate branches of the tree touch the river. In the water smooth cold bodies, dark and mysterious, weave and glide around each other in an unchoreographed dance, their shapes refracting in the ripples then reforming.
Another world. Beautiful and a little disquieting.
8 comments:
I love the flow of your description. You have a talent with words, I think. Keep up the blogging! I wish I could have seen it too. I can't believe that you saw that in the UK. It sounds highly exotic!
(o)
White Elephant: Thank you and welcome! Yes, my local river is extremely well-stocked with fish. The sight is still a novelty for me though as a newcomer ...
Dale: Thank you.
Lovely, MM.
Your description of the river is wonderful, I feel as if I am there too!
Yes, and disquieting, as you say. (Not awake yet enough to say more - rather like a fish barely surfacing myself.)
Lovley. I wanted to trail my fingers in the water, until you mentioned 'disquieting'!
Thanks everyone. I enjoyed writing this.
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