Twilight walk along the River Frome

Whenever I feel sad, or anxious, I find that looking at rivers calms me - the movement of the water, the glimpses of darting fish, the sudden emergence of bubbles, all this soothes my soul - my heart stops lurching in my chest -

This February, we were walking along the bank of the River Frome, beyond the bridge at Wareham - it was twilight - I looked up to see a marvellous sky - the sun was just below the horizon -

I thought, for a moment, staring at the clouds, that I would see angels, blowing silver trumpets -

The surface of the river was almost devoid of ripples - a smooth sheet of water reflected trees, the masts of moored yachts - there was a white moon - the reeds were still and unmoving -

We stood upon the bend of the river at Redcliffe - we could see the channel of the river widening as it went on towards the harbour - meanders enclosed wetlands - birds rose up against the sky -

I felt reassured by the silent life of the river - I realised that I was happy - this moment, here, on the bank of this river, would last forever -

When we made our way back to the bridge, bright lamps lit up the quay - the gentle buildings were full of promise -