Quiet flows the river

By Kieran

 Quiet flows the river

 


Original artwork and pensive poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2026, inspired by the many refreshing mountain streams one comes across when hiking the mountains


When I see a quiet flowing river, I let the tranquility soak into my bones.
The water acts like a patient sculptor smoothing the rough edges of stones.

Breathing life, allowing green moss to flourish along the sun-soaked edges
Tiny fish feast on algae and weed, making a food chain in the murky dredges

Soon snails, dragonflies and tadpoles appear to complete the ecosystem.
Be still and look carefully did you spot the warbler dive or did you miss him?

Shallow river pools are nature's veritable hot spots teeming with activity!
Small pleasures that one gets to enjoy gratis when hiking with perceptivity

Comments

Anonymous said…
Love the prose and concur with it too Kieran 👍🏼 (WhatsApp comment from an XLRI classmate on a group chat)
February 25, 2026 at 9:05 PM
Kieran said…
Thanks @⁨~Arjun Trivedi (Arjuna)⁩ chalk it down to the many hiking trails in the Bay Area. Can’t wait to get back on the trails - Kieran
February 25, 2026 at 9:06 PM
Anonymous said…
I loved the description of the algae, tadpoles and nature's ecosystem in all its beauty... We spent our childhood and school years in Mount Abu where we had a farm and my brother and I would go exploring along the mountain streams, catching tadpoles on our palms, hunting for rock crabs under the gushing mountain streams. It was nature in all its beauty - (Reply on WhatsApp to the above comment)
February 25, 2026 at 9:06 PM
Kieran said…
I can totally relate to that. We three brothers spent our summer holidays gamboling across the hills outside Saligao, Goa behind our ancestral home with catapults and our golden cocker spaniel chasing squirrels. We’d bring home tadpoles, guppies, caterpillars, butterflies… which our parents tolerated. Precious childhood memories - Kieran
February 25, 2026 at 9:06 PM
Anonymous said…
Beautiful!!! The painting and the poem... (WhatsApp comment from an artistic dear friend from Punewho loves the outdoors)
February 25, 2026 at 9:07 PM
Kieran said…
You are totally into nature and I’m not surprised it resonated with you - Kieran
February 25, 2026 at 9:08 PM
Anonymous said…
Thank you Kieran. So true and so real. The perceptivity bit. Absolutely (WhatsApp comment from a very dear friend in the Bay Area)
February 25, 2026 at 9:09 PM
Kieran said…
Glad you liked it, Florence. I need to get out more in nature … hopefully in spring - Kieran
February 25, 2026 at 9:09 PM
Anonymous said…
Love the dragonfly and the fellow poised to dive into the ripples (WhatsApp comment from a dear relative in Bombay)
February 25, 2026 at 9:11 PM
Kieran said…
You are very perceptive, Pearl. Glad you liked the painting - Kieran
February 25, 2026 at 9:11 PM
Anonymous said…
Fabulous (WhatsApp comment from a very dear childhood friend)
February 25, 2026 at 9:12 PM
Kieran said…
Thanks Germaine, waiting to hit the trails come spring - Kieran
February 25, 2026 at 9:12 PM
Anonymous said…
Very inspirational ! When I first saw it , I thought of still waters run deep . After reading your take I was transferred to another place (WhatsApp comment from a very dear cousin in Toronto, Canada)
February 25, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Kieran said…
True, each one has their own interpretation of art. I’m glad my poem fired up your imagination - Kieran
February 25, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Anonymous said…
Wow...love the poem. (WhatsApp comment from a dear childhood school friend)
February 25, 2026 at 9:21 PM
Kieran said…
Thanks Hillary! Remember the walks to Empress garden with Orlando and Peter. We would catch guppies, tadpoles, butterflies etc. What fun!!
February 25, 2026 at 9:22 PM
Anonymous said…
What a lovely poem,I could feel the tranquility, the gentle sound of running water and the darting of life beneath! (WhatsApp comment from a very dear neighbor and former class teacher in Pune)
February 26, 2026 at 5:44 AM
Kieran said…
Thank you, Barbara, that is very sweet of you.
When I completed the artwork - I felt a serenity one experiences in nature and the poem flowed from thereon. I added the ripples and dragonfly after penning down a few lines. Interesting how the art informed the poem which elevated the art. - Kieran
February 26, 2026 at 5:46 AM
Anonymous said…
good painting. Rupsha Nodir Banke is a Bangla movie on YouTube, it means the same as "Quiet flows the river". It is about Bangladesh politics. Yes indeed how astonishing are the rivers you can spend hours doing watching it and doing nothing,. Natures beauty. You have used the right colors and light in your paintings. (WhatsApp comment from a dear school friend in Pune)
February 26, 2026 at 9:23 PM
Kieran said…
You are a vast treasure of information, Sanjeev. Thanks for your appreciation 🙏🏼- Kieran
February 26, 2026 at 9:24 PM
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