A Song Of A River

Mid verdant slopes and tangled wood, a little brook, I start,

Then tumble over cataracts and ‘neath the shadows dart;

                 Thus on and on I glide along,

                 In indolence and sylvan song.

                        For I am a river,

                        A sweet pleasure giver,

           To all who come near my waters so clear,

                        Or list to my song

                        As I frolic along

                 To a refuge I never ask whither.

Then sparkling rills from out of the gulf join hand in hand with me,

And louder, faster, on we dance toward the open sea.

                 I reach fair Leesville ‘neath the hill,

                 And turn with ease her cotton mill.

                        For I am a river,

                        A sweet pleasure giver,

           To all who employ me for profit or joy,

                        Or list to my song

                        As I frolic along

                 To a refuge I never ask whither.

Then sweeping grandly through the vale I am “my poet’s dream”,

And after winding in and out I join my mother stream.

                 Thus on toward the sea we strut,

                 Myself and proud Connecticut.

                        For we are one river,

                        One sweet pleasure giver,

           To all who will float on our breast in a boat,

                        Or list to our song

                        As we frolic along

                 To a refuge we never ask whither.

Aug. 2, ‘91

   Pub. in

Conn. Valley

      Ad.

(This clearly refers to the Salmon River, which passes through the Leesville section of Moodus within the town of East Haddam)