Flow in Flow out Baby’s breath, Moss Lung, cling to the mouth of the cave, Rustled by her breath, soothed by her voice They are safe here Cool, clear water, winds down her throat Runs loving hands over slate flesh Carves his own place in coal skin Cradles silver, quartz, gold heart Makes bones and empires out of limestone He makes her as much as she makes him Grey flashes in the dim light Here too is crawdad, cave spider, bat minder They are all safe here Flow in Flow out Then, there is man Tired and alone Hurt and afraid Cave whispers to him as she has whispered to deer, to rabbit, to wayward bear cub Flow in Flow out You are safe here He washes his wounds in clearest water And lays his head on softest moss Cave watches over him as man rests Whispers her promise, her prayer Flow in Flow out You are safe here Man leaves and Man returns With pickaxe and muddy boots Cave greets him with her promise, with her prayer but he Blinds her with kerosene lantern Deafens her with dynamite Scorches silvery grey black with gunpowder He makes war of their peace, of their safety Muddies clear water Scratches the coal from her skin, Tears her heart in two, breaks it into a million pieces Tramples crawdad, cave spider, Baby’s Breath, Moss Lung Takes snare and net to gentle bat minder Takes her heart, her friends Leaves only mud and clay and smoke Run, cave whispers, You are not safe here Slimy, oily hands Find stalactite, stalagmite, Column, miracle, empire Swirls of chemicals clash with the freshest water, the most concentrated salt, the purest minerals And they erode centuries of loving, slow, gentle work One passing palm-touch at a time they, Flow in Flow out They take and they take and they take Without second-thought, without knowing They take Her heart, her mind, her voice, her beauty They do not even leave her her bones Bat minder watches Clings to the last stalactite in the broken halls of a defeated mountain queen She watches As she has watched generations of pups Carefully, closely The humans are not all that different Tripping, falling, whirling, bumping, crashing into wall and stone Laughing, ignorant in their harm, Or perhaps too childish to care She watches as they fell sister, cousin, niece, daughter They wear away their home with Burning light, acid touch, sonic boom A war that rattles her brain and clouds her sight So bat listens to cave, she Flows out And sends back in, Only the gentlest of prayers for her oldest friend Rattle Crash Boom Shout Silence Coughing, wheezing Sickly brook struggles to babble, pushes against sludge and dust and rock pile Rattle Crash Boom Silence Cave thinks the silence is the worst She has gotten used to Rattle Crash Boom But the silence makes her heart hurt Gone is The chirping of bats And the clicking of crawdad hands, the singing of cave crickets River’s echoing voice Wind’s wise song Rattle Crash Boom Silence An old friend’s prayer Flow in Flow out Cave cannot do this anymore Rattle Crash Boom Silence She is old and worn, sick and alone, tired and afraid Rattle Crash Boom Silence So cave bends and cave lets go Rattle Crash Boom Break Her bones snap in two And the mountain comes down on their heads She is no longer shelter, home, cradle, den, safe-within Now she is grave No in No out Just silence Oh… what they have made of her
Author’s Note
This piece comes out of 2021 National Writing Day, and is also partially inspired by Write Out 2021. Indiana/Kentucky is home to many beautiful caves. Most famous is the nearby Mammoth Cave. However, I grew up looking into caves just big enough for me to shimmy into if I laid on my stomach. Caves are often thematically connected with mystery, and I have always felt drawn to these natural wonders. There is no quiet awe like that of peering into a cool cave spring, stalactites reflected in the barely-there glow of a dying flashlight.
I enjoyed writing this poem. Let me know what you think!
My favorite part of the poem was using other objects to describe another. Using descriptive words to convey a very clear image on what you want the reader to picture is very impressive.
Thank you!
Your poem is very inspirational. While reading I my mind was getting lost in your language and imagery. The description that you used is amazing and keeps the reader’s attention. Nice work keep up the good work.
Thank you! Your feedback means so much to me
This is an amazing poem! The way you described the physical feelings of her hands was really intriguing and it made me actually feel as if I was inside the poem. I love the words towards the end of the poem that describe the sounds you hear.
This is an amazing poem! The way you described the physical feelings of her hands was really intriguing and it made me actually feel as if I was inside the poem. I love the words towards the end of the poem that describe the sounds you hear.
Thank you so much!
This poem is incredible. The use of repetition and the structure of the poem make it easy to read, and it drew me in immediately. I feel like the use of different characters and perspectives makes it so much easier to read and go through.
Thank you! Part of poetry’s beauty is how fluid it is. It allows poets to mess around with characters and perspectives and structure. There are no rules.
I enjoyed your poem with its sense of place and voice, Ella.
This line resonated with me when I read your poem this morning and then again tonight:
Might I craft a poem back to you, as token of gratitude for writing and for sharing?
Nearly forever listening,
we’re always hearing a voice
of this river, the flow
below ground, the unfolding
sound of erosion and reaction,
the timbre of melody
of friction on stone,
the thoughts of a poet,
nearly, but not always,
written alone
Best wishes — keep on writing!
Kevin Hodgson
Grade 6 Teacher
Southampton, Massachusetts
I love this! Thank you for sharing and thank you for your feedback!
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for this echoing poem! You’ve both captured how nature puts us in touch with something beyond.
Another thought, different perhaps, that comes to mind is John Cage’s notion that he wanted to write music that did not interrupt the other sounds in our life. This is also something that Brian Eno has been up to with ambient music.
Anyway, I drift…
Thanks for the connection!
Cool. My wife is a ranger and cave guide at Mammoth Cave NP. I sent this to her. Love your luxurious use of repetition throughout the poem. I hope you keep writing and sharing your unique voice.
That’s so cool! Thank you for your feedback.