River Tale

First gather morning rain,
Splash down mountainside,
Tip into rivulets, into tributaries and

Make a river.

Chase downstream fearlessly,
Catch cataracts,
Track eddies, spy leaping fish, then
Subside, yawning.

Now, trail wet toes carelessly,
Take detours,
Flow over flood plain, ripple in the sun,
Linger sleepily

And wait to hear
The lap of water shift across sand,
Crabs scuttle,
The moon spill out of the sea,
Curlews call,
And the river pass from source to estuary.