This River Poem by Dennis Lange

Remember when my hair was black,
And we were young and gay,
And on this river we set forth
To spend a summer's day?

The wind was warm, the water cool,
The river smooth and free.
We were so young we did not know
Where rivers run to be.

Soft clouds were pillows in the sky;
Birds flew among the trees
That lined our way like sentinels.
I rowed; you looked at me.

The water lapping at the oars,
And song the swallows sang,
Plus pulse of hearts that beat as one
Across the river rang.

We were so young and still naive:
The course we could not know
That currents take, the twists and turns,
The rapids and the slow.

And yet, together, we have come
Down, down the river long.
Through good and bad days bound as one.
And hearts still beat as strong.

Remember when my hair was black,
And we were young and gay?
And on this river, we set forth
And passed our lives away.