The River To The Ocean Poem by Francis Duggan

By woodlands and through grasslands and places where rank scrub grow
The river to the ocean forever will flow
On it's sea going journey it receives the waters of drain, creek, brook and rill
The river born as a stream in the lake by the hill
Mostly in a clear flowing gentle babble it flows on it's way
Down from the high country by night and by day
But in heavy rain it roars and overflows in flood waters of brown
And floods through the riverside village and town
When Nature grows angry how fierce she can be
The river does grow to a brown inland sea
Leaving water damaged homes and even death in it's wake
Many miles from it's birthplace the quiet mountain lake
Downhill through the flat country babbling it's way
To the distant ocean by night and by day.