When the River Sang

When the River Sang

I followed the verdant forest path,
Because magic was near the brook,
And strung and dressed my line,
And attached a mayfly to a hook;
And when the fly was in the air,
And the sun's rays were peaking through,
I saw the trout rise in the pool,
And softly mouthed a small prayer.

When I lifted it to the bank,
And almost had it in the net,
It flipped off and my heart sank,
But I wasn't ready to quit yet.
To my surprise, I heard a song
rising from the rivers flow,
A sacred song, a song of love,
Serenading me from below.

Although I'm slowly fading,
And my flies seem old and tattered,
The mermaid's song will lure me on
Until my ashes lie scattered,
And float among the fish and fowl,
Drifting in the stream until I'm done,
And sing and dance to the Osprey's cry,
And warm my soul in the setting sun.