"With the River" by Calderon ‘Riverside Breeze’: A Poem by Daniel Howard The Society May 7, 2025 Beauty, Love Poems, Poetry 11 Comments . Riverside Breeze ___How beautiful you look __Browsing the flowers one by one _While lying down along the babbling brook; ___And there, beneath the sun, __Whose melting kisses mark your skin, _The faintest of the zephyrs overrun ___The linen, wearing thin, __Of your translucent floral dress, _And as you fall asleep they soon begin ___With whispers to caress __Your lobes, your cheeks, your nose, your chin, Gently to fan away the dream that draws you in. . . Daniel Joseph Howard studied law in his native Ireland, earned an MA in philosophy at King’s College London and worked for the European Commission. He is currently a pensionnaire étranger at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, as well as a Teaching Fellow and PhD candidate in the United States. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. ***Read Our Comments Policy Here*** 11 Responses Mark Stellinga May 7, 2025 A very moving and beautiful piece, Daniel, and, fortunately, I’ve now spent 52 wonderful years adoring the gal by whom I was thoroughly smitten as a lad. I’m as ‘whipped’ as it gets and loving every minute – nice work. Reply Daniel Howard May 7, 2025 Here’s to another 52 years, Mark! Reply Roy Eugene Peterson May 7, 2025 Sweet fantasy. Reply Daniel Howard May 7, 2025 Hopefully more than just a fantasy at one point or another in everyone’s life! Reply Paul A. Freeman May 7, 2025 An ephemeral snapshot of the best of times. Nicely done, Daniel. Reply Daniel Howard May 7, 2025 The best of times, Paul! Reply Phil L. Flott May 7, 2025 How beautifully musical is Riverside Breeze. Reply Daniel Howard May 7, 2025 Thanks, Phil. The intention was to create of flow of lines written in trimeter, tetrameter and pentameter closed with an alexandrine. Reply Margaret Coats May 7, 2025 This is splendid scene painting, Daniel, with brush strokes of varied line length–each line contributing a precise element of meaning. The only striking enjambment is (appropriately!) “overrun.” The final line adds just a touch of concern at the dream drawing the beloved away from the presence of the speaker. A gentle lyric that fans away well-deserved praise. Reply Daniel Howard May 7, 2025 Very well spotted, Margaret! Reply Cynthia L Erlandson May 7, 2025 Wow, I love this poem! Its structure — the 3-4-5 metrical pattern of the lines, and the fascinatingly interwoven rhyme scheme — is marvelous. And I love the beautiful scene it portrays and the charming feelings it expresses. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Mark Stellinga May 7, 2025 A very moving and beautiful piece, Daniel, and, fortunately, I’ve now spent 52 wonderful years adoring the gal by whom I was thoroughly smitten as a lad. I’m as ‘whipped’ as it gets and loving every minute – nice work. Reply
Daniel Howard May 7, 2025 Hopefully more than just a fantasy at one point or another in everyone’s life! Reply
Daniel Howard May 7, 2025 Thanks, Phil. The intention was to create of flow of lines written in trimeter, tetrameter and pentameter closed with an alexandrine. Reply
Margaret Coats May 7, 2025 This is splendid scene painting, Daniel, with brush strokes of varied line length–each line contributing a precise element of meaning. The only striking enjambment is (appropriately!) “overrun.” The final line adds just a touch of concern at the dream drawing the beloved away from the presence of the speaker. A gentle lyric that fans away well-deserved praise. Reply
Cynthia L Erlandson May 7, 2025 Wow, I love this poem! Its structure — the 3-4-5 metrical pattern of the lines, and the fascinatingly interwoven rhyme scheme — is marvelous. And I love the beautiful scene it portrays and the charming feelings it expresses. Reply