I Need the River

I need the river,
the way it carries the
spring runoff in its arms
like a mother,
the way it glides like
a roller blader, like
bearings in fresh oil,
like a drunken thought
in the mind of a happy man.
I need the river
like that man needs that drink
at the end of a long day.
I need the river ghosts
and the river spirits
to whisper their secrets
in my ears, to tell me
the news from upstream,
to silence the demons in my head,
to show me the light that
dances on the riverbed.
I need the power of the river
to flow through my soul,
to turn the turbines of my mind.
River, I call to thee.
Make me one of your people, let me
follow you down,
Let me follow you downstream.