River

Freely and softly I moved

from the south to the north

among lush green hills

in the bright space

and from the east side I had a brook

becoming slowly a stream

Green hills reaching to the horizon

in the gentle light

which source I was not able to see

A meandering road

And the stream turned into a river

aligning with the road

until the gently babbling crystal water

began to overflow onto its surface

And then I felt anxiety

even though fast moving and transparent river

was shallow enough

that I could easily cross it

A little further on, the river became wider

its current rushing, and the bank more clearly outlined

I was moving with water up to my knees

when a large mountain rose in front of me with a dark tunnel carved inside

To the vertical side of the mountain

a wooden house with large windows nestled

Tall hollyhocks in the garden

and among them a walking woman

with a gentle look

And on the opposite side - on the higher bank - a man staring at the river

leaning on the bike

He turned his head and said to me:

- Don't be afraid, the water is reaching only the ninth stone in the tunnel

pictures - Skieblewo village and Rubcowo village, Podlaskie Voivodeship