Mississippi Midnight Poem by L MILTON HANKINS

I walked along the Mississippi shoreline at midnight
Listening to distant barges groaning in the dark
And thinking about Mark Twain
Drifting down the river on a lazy summer day.

It's the same old Mississippi he rafted on,
The same course, just different water.

Those lovers heard the barges groaning, too, I think
Their inner ears occupied, duly registering
The lapping against a solid-steel plate
Restless walks the Mississippi after midnight.

While early barges growl toward another steamy
Summer day, a hint of Twain drifts through
The trees like the subtle perfume the maiden wears
They tell me you can buy anything
Along the Mississippi at midnight.