Beside the Waters
Bouncing from rock to rock
slippery stepping stones,
willy-nill-she,
Martha on the river
busy girl
fetching water for the thirsty
checking her nets for fish
to grill for the hungry
sometimes skipping
sometimes tumbling
the water swift and tangled
around her
she complains about her sister
not helping
Mary downriver
where the stream widens
and slows in the broader valley
sits on a flat rock
dangles her feet in the stream
small ripples in the pond
trees lean over the bank
stars spread a bright blanket
covering the nights
a silver path bridges to the moon
Mary praises the living waters
Short Bio– Poet Victoria Crawford shares words to remind of us grace in difficult times. She from California, but currently lives in Thailand where she is retired. She has previous published in journals such as The Time of Singing, The Lyric, Braided Way, The Heart of Flesh, and here in Parousia.
PAROUSIA Magazine 
Victoria, you take that well-known contrast between the active life exemplified by Martha and the contemplative life exemplified by Mary and show the two as young girls interacting with a river. We see busy Martha and reflective Mary as two sides of human nature. When you say that Martha “complains about her sister not helping” and that Mary “praises the living waters,” we know why Jesus proclaimed that Mary had chosen the better path. You also imply what rivers are really for. Well done!
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Beautiful poem Victoria Crawford!
Especially loved these lines…
‘trees lean over the bank
stars spread a bright blanket
covering the nights
a silver path bridges to the moon
Mary praises the living waters’
Thanks for sharing this lovely verse!
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