Everyday Poetry

One of the places visitors to Iceland are encouraged to visit is the Gullfoss waterfall,  and no wonder.  It's a magnificent two tier fall of foaming glacier meltwater, as breathtaking as Niagra or Victoria Falls, despite its smaller size.   Gullfoss How to explain our love affair with waterfalls?  With the rush and bluster, the fuss of the fall,  The draw of the cliff edge, The milky foam, the mist that drifts Above the sculpting water.  We flock in droves to view the spume, To find the rainbow's arc,  To capture the uncapturable, To make the constant flow stand still.  © Copyright 2026. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved.

The main focus of the cruise to Iceland was to witness the total solar eclipse, but the weather was causing problems for the astronomers on board who were responsible for advising the captain where to position the ship.  It was touch and go for most of the afternoon with clouds obscuring the sun, but satellite images had predicted a break in the clouds along the coast of Greenland, which thankfully we found. We were very grateful for the skill involved both of the prediction and the navigation to the exact spot we needed to get a clear view of the heavens as the moon passed in front of the sun, exactly on time.   Time stands still The moon is eating the sun, Nibbling slowly from the right,  Taking its time, no rush,  What's an hour on its path through the heavens? Just for an instant, at the point of total eclipse, It seems to pause, its shadow Allowing a glimpse of a wispy corona Dotted with pink Bailey's Beads,  Then moves on with a flash of brilliance....

I was very excited about cruising beyond the Arctic Circle, visiting the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland, so I don't know why I was so amazed to see an iceberg floating by, other than I'd witnessed the humpback whale performing for us only an hour before! Later we experienced a total solar eclipse - a magical day indeed.  Denmark Strait The captain's announcement cuts through the morning lecture: An iceberg visible on the port bow. Impatient we sit it out, fidgeting for the briefing to end,  Rush out on deck, gaze dumbstruck As the block of blue ice and dirty snow slides past, Shrinking our ship down to size.  Mobile phones outnumber long lenses,  All capturing the moment We were humbled by raw magnificence. © Copyright 2026. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved.

I could hardly believe my eyes - on my way to a lecture on astronomy something caught my eye out of one of the windows - unmistakably a dorsal fin. This was followed by the most extraordinary display by a humpback whale,  really close to the ship. It flipped onto its back revealing its white underside,  and began flapping its long pectoral fins through the sea like it was doing a weird kind of backstroke! The ORCA team on board had never seen behaviour like it and thought it must be a juvenile, just enjoying seeing our ship and playing alongside. It was there for several minutes and we all just watched, delighted to share the moment with this enormous creature.  Humpback   Black dorsal fin, white blow against grey sea,  A ripple of excitement rolling along deck,  A wave of people standing for a better view.  It rolls; a long white fin, two, Slapping the surface of the sea Again and again, playfully, As if posing for photographs. An omen, presaging fine...

It rained today after a dry spell of over a month, so I sat and watched as it rolled across the valley, and began to soak the pots on the patio.   Rain slides down the fuchsia branch Balloons on the underside of a leaf Till gravity pulls it earthwards,  Each drop followed by another Answering the call of the parched earth. © Copyright 2026. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved.

One of the poetic forms I decided to try this year was the Nonet, a form where each line decreases by one syllable.  It seemed to fit the theme of leaving port. The captain bids his time; he must wait for each check to be completed.  Once everything is shipshape,  and all are safe on board,  moorings are cast off; his shop leaves dock,  finds its home on open sea.  © Copyright 2026. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved.