River
River, sometimes I wish I could toss my cares like petals
In your flowing waters,
Soft and light and glistening in the noonday sun,
And smiling, watch until they disappear from view.
River, if I could I would dive like an eagle
Beneath your glassy surface,
So bold and brazen that the languid geese would scatter,
And snatch life like silvery prey from your teeming waters.
River, were I to stand on your banks and wonder
Aloud what course to take,
Would your answer be in the rush of determined waters
Flowing inexorably toward the sea?
River, my tears are but a drop in the depth
Of your cold and stinging waters,
Yet how the summer sun does dance upon your dimpled face
And lilacs do infuse your breath with sweetness.
River, now I move closer and gaze into the mirror
Of your crystal waters,
Shimmering with hope and fear, and filled with longing
For a torrent of love to sweep me away.
River, in my quicksilver dreams I would dip my hands
In your clear waters,
And feel your strength rippling through my fingers
And into my soul, and I would be like a river.
