field observation, site 041°17'S 174°46'E, 14 january
the river here does not cut through rock.
it persuades it. daily. the banks
are soft enough to accept revision.
noted at 07:30: two forms converging
at a bend—one angular, one fluid—
neither yielding, both altered by proximity.
noted at 12:00: a structure spans the channel.
not a dam. a gate. the water passes through
and is the same water, measured differently.
noted at 15:00: cloud cover holds at 75%.
the light is not withheld, only distributed
more equitably across the floodplain.
noted at 20:24: a single point of bioluminescence
pulses at the river's mouth.
something small, waiting to be released
into the larger body.
along both banks, partially obscured
by sediment and tussock: four figures.
they do not enter the water.
they are the reason the water moves.