The Ashley River

in a Monchielle poem, Writer's Cramp winner 4/23/2025

The Ashley River flows
past a blackwater swamp,
where alligators nap
and magnolias bloom,
charming many a chap.

The Ashley River flows
past old rice plantations,
where slaves devised their own
home-grown Gullah language,
before the telephone.

The Ashley River flows
along a winding course
of famous tourist sites
trading on energy
which such splendor ignites.

The Ashley River flows
through the channel of time
on its course to the sea
and is celebrated
as home to history.

Notes ▶︎

1. The Monchielle form of poetry has a powerful pattern of rhyme and repetition, as described and demonstrated in the following link: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/monchielle.html .

2. Ashley River: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley_River

3. Magnolia Gardens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_Plantation_and_Gardens_(Charleston,_South_Carolina)# .