River Crossing Poem by Thomas Golding

Water rushing, snarling, sucking
Trying to drag our feet from under
Stones shifting, move your balance
Hold linked arms, lean into
Angle, angle, use the current
Margaret's feet are off the bottom
Haul her like a water logged canoe
No time to reassure her terror
We feel this river's out to get us
It looked safe enough to begin
Now we cannot turn around.

Water pulling, pulling over waist
Karen's head keeps ducking under
Inch your feet, feel the bottom rising
Careful, careful nearly over
Now’s the time to lose it all
A draggled Karen curses
Not wise, damn fools, lucky fools
Well-rounded vowels good diction
As we dropp her on the bank to drain
She’s not the only one who wished
She'd stayed safely home today.