A Limbs Life Poem by ERNEST CLARY

I seen a limb floating down the river the other day
without pride or humiliation there it lay
not knowing where it was going
upon the water flowing, away
who knows where it may land
on a muddy bank
or perhaps a beach of sand, or sank
it has no control of its fate
at any rate
its in the rivers hand
it was once part of a tree
now its on the water flowing free
just for a moment, not knowing;
I could see
once it bore leaves that fell to the ground
now to the rivers might it is bound
a new life
it has somehow found
without notion it was gone
at the speed of the waters motion
it moved quickly on
I thought it moved by quick
and realized one day it was part of a tree that was alive
and now just a big stick taking a dive
even if it rests on a bank of sand
it is still sank and of another land
its life is gone
held afloat propelled by water
its moving on.