River Wild

joy and sadness tangled fate

one came home extremely late

my gleeful sons rods in hand 

deceitful river, fish they planned

shifting forest running free

twisting turns among the trees

grinning water spies the meal

two young boys come to heel

laughing, spinning noonday sun

they bait their rods in hopes of fun

jumping floating rock to rock

follows the stream with no dock

fluidic arm grasps the child

muscled water river wild

lost in waves shifting death

a small boy lost, weight and breath

searching, yelling, hoping, praying

darkling dusk a night in making

a silent moan, shifting white

brought my son to my sight.

along the banks amongst the trees

lay my boy who coughed and wheezed

in my arms my son returned

the memory forever burned

love, live in moments they say

So often time just slips away

my sons they grew,

thank god for two

could have been one...

...or none