River & Stream | Meredith Davies Hadaway

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2 mins read

One empties 
      and fills; the other 
            trickles. Both
                  keep me afloat.

                  When talk runs 
            out with the tide, only 
      silence lets
words rise inside me.

Alone, I feel the wave 
      of hour/day/year 
            that motions us 
                  together.

                  Guests arrive, then 
            leave. Between visits, 
      I discover my life all 
over again.

Some intrusion—
      like an oar in the water—
            will allow 
                  me to move.

                  Where the current runs 
            strong, no stroke will cut 
      through it, so I float.
Just float.



 Meredith Davies Hadaway is the author of five books of poetry including Small Craft Warning, a collaborative chapbook with artist Marcy Dunn Ramsey. Her latest collection, [Among the Many Disappearing Things] was issued in fall 2024, from Grayson Books. She is currently the Sophie Kerr Poet-in-Residence at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland.