Another 3rd grade tour--By Richard Carl Subber--United States

Another 3^rd grade tour

Well, yes, Anna, this is the same river

   the Nipmuc Indians knew in 1651,

it was here, they fished in it,

and, yes, they saw ducks like those

   on the other bank over there,

and, no, it’s not too deep,

but, here’s another way to look at it:

the river is new today,

it’s filled with new rain,

it carries a different twig over the dam,

it swirls new bubbles

   from the fish we didn’t quite see,

the river has forgotten the feel of a canoe,

   forgotten how to turn the mill wheel,

it has learned to ignore

   the ever louder sounds that crowd the air,

and it sniffs in surprise

   each time new toes are dipped in its currents,

and those ducks on the other bank

   are new this year, too.

Richard Carl Subber (Rick) is a freelance editor, a writing coach and a historian. He lives with his family in Natick, Massachusetts, USA. He’s a former newspaper reporter/editor who now indulges his love of the right words.  Rick is a proud grandpa who is teaching his granddaughter to read and write, in case there is poetry in her future.  His poetry appears in The Australia Times Poetry Magazine, miller’s pond poetry magazine, The RavensPerch, Northern Stars, and elsewhere. His blog: http://barleyliterate.blogspot.com/