A Long Soaking Journey
[River (Draft 3)]
by Douglas Gilbert
She crossed a river, and
she’s not coming back.
You’ll never know
the way it’s been, and
how she stirred things up.
First thing, she said she’d
have a bacon cheeseburger,
and bring one home, but
I’d been born by sorrow
in a homey wreckage, just to
wash worry stains from
the bodies in the street, yeah
it’s been a long soaking time since
bloody muddy murders flowed
like a criminal rhyme for
the river beyond, yes
it’s been a long soaking sorrow
washing worry, and
stains never go away
So I was born by sorrow
just to see
her daddy float away, yes
and she’s alone, and I remember
like a joy in toe
how she took a step at one,
and a billion steps since
It’s been a long soaking sorrow
since she floated away. But
let me say just how I sent
her to the crossroads, and
it’s been a billion steps, no,
a long soaking sorrow since.
Yet across the waters
many have gone, I know
but sorrow says no
she’s lost across a river,
like a rhyming criminal joke
and yet she’d vowed
to call back, so
she took a billion steps
(Always stirred things up)
(she did), and
first thing, she said
she’d have a snack
It’s been a long time, and
I can smell the bacon now.
She was going to have
an anchovy pizza
and a princess doll, been
a long soaking sorrow since
she crossed on over, and
she promised to call back.
Chloë 