Songs Of The Rolling, Grumbling, Tumbling River

Tumbling river, where do you roam?

Through forests, plains, and valleys, traveling on

And on to far-distant shores.

You meander over rocks and sand, singing and

Gurgling as you glide along.

Sometimes you are muddy; sometimes you are

Crystal clear; but you really don’t seem to care. 

You journey through lush, green-grassy meadows,

Watering buttercups, prickly thistles, lazy daisies,

And bluish-purple cornflowers.

Tiny creatures visit your banks to quench their deep

Thirst, but you just keep on tumbling, rumbling, and

Rolling on, searching to find your dreams. 

When spring rains or summer storms arrive, you

Banks soon overflow.

Tiny creatures scurry to higher ground, but they keep

Listening to your rolling, grumbling, and rumbling

Songs.

Darting, flashing fish swim hither and thither, trying

To escape the swooping hawk’s talons as it skims low

Above your still waters, which mirror the beauty of

The sunny days and the starry nights.

On occasion when it’s very dry, your width becomes

As narrow as a Christmas ribbon.

Not just keeping flowing little winding river, trilling your

Notes that mimic the songbirds.

Frogs plot on flat rocks and belch a deep croak, and

Tiny birds beak up your sparkling, refreshing cool

Water; so sing on rolling, grumbling tumbling river,

For your songs will echo on and on as you flow

Gleefully along.