Fleuve Congo

There’s no need to spy into the depths

to feel there’s something beyond

the steady flow you’ve showed the world.

The bends, the oxbows, the islands —

you’ve let the world see the peripheral parts of yourself,

the parts that aren’t easily hidden,

the most obvious features.

Just as the deepest river eventually meets the ocean,

someday, a time will come to share

the contents of your deepest currents

and the stories you’ve tried to submerge in the undertow.

When the ships reach the coastal ports

and the tides lap the riverbanks,

there will be people enough to take in

whatever it is that you’re willing to share.