At The Vaal River Poem by Gert Strydom

At the Vaal river finches twitter
and nests hang all over the willow trees
and the fishermen
sit from dusk next to the water,
to try and catch a big one.

I see a monitor
going from the water
into the undergrowth
and hear how the rippling stream
flows over rocks at places

There’s a water beetle
that swims around and around
in a calm pool
and tadpoles that rush to and fro.

With time spent at the river
I find some tranquillity,
while the cars above at the bridge
rush by frantically.