Sunday, May 28, 2006

the big river

Deep River
Over the River and Through the Woods
Ole' Man River
Moon River
Riverdance

I can understand why rivers are the focus of so many lyrics. Rivers beckon us; they enchant us.
A river can be inspiring or mysterious, frightening or calming. The Old Testament is chock full of symbolism pertaining to rivers. ( Come to think of it, so is the New Testament...) We have the River Jordan, the River of Life, rivers that baptize, and rivers that water trees. I think God likes rivers, too.

The whole fam (plus Friend #12) plied the Raquette River this evening in canoes. We found our groove eventually, after a few seating arrangements, intense "discussion", and paddle re-distribution. Since we took one of my regular routes, I pointed out some favorite landmarks: potential picnic spot, farm with a view, home of blue herons, and beaver's lodges. We cruised off of the beaten path too, squeezing through a maze of logs and snags to peek into low-lying bird's nests. Herein were perfect eggs worthy of Jackson Pollack: cream and light blue spattered with brown and black.

I may dip into Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn again soon. Here is a man who knew rivers, and what they can do for a person. A cobbled raft, a study stick, the clothes on his back, sidekick Jim, and a straw to chew are enough for Huck. Perhaps we should bring less to our experiences, and expect more from our adventures.

Give me the river and let's see where I go.

1 Comments:

Blogger 르네 said...

"A cobbled raft, a study stick, the clothes on his back..."

perhaps you mean a sturdy stick? (wink)

10:36 PM  

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