Down by the River

Down by the river
Hudson’s waters wave to me like a stranger
A passerby I will not own, 
I only float along the surface.

Down by the river
Your edge is so cold.
Memories are foreign and ancient
Like a distant country with strange tongues.

Down by the river
Melancholy coats the coast
Sun-drenched in sunset
Running, I remember.
Racing, were we not?
Fleeing, I feel better.

Down by the river
Wanted to make love to the open sky.
Boisterous laughter shaking inside.
My partner in lies still untold and unsure
Pimpled adolescents, seeing through mirrors.

 But

Down by the river
You kept me so raw
Like oysters with pearls
Lost jewelry in sand.

Down by the  river 
Is where I loved you most
Is where I left you
A shadow, on the dock in the sun.

Johanna Vanderspool
May 22, 2003