Ode to the River

April 14th 2007
(Glasgow Clean-up)
by Dareth Goettemoeller

(Dareth wrote this poem the day of the Glasgow Clean-up
and shared it with us around the campfire that night.

They Came
Like a flood of ants they came
In the cold, in the rain
They came

Dreams of trash undiscovered
Treasures unclaimed
They came like ants
In the rain

Wash it down they said
With beer
The rain will stop come morn
And they did
And it did

And so they began in search
Of trash undiscovered

Shall we search the riverbanks?
Shall we search the roads?
Quick and quiet they came to the realization
Only the trash mattered

To the trash!
To the Trash!
And they flood like ants
To the secret undiscovered trash

Oh the joy!
Trash abounded then!
With bags and shovels
and bulging muscles
the trash was gathered
quick and clean

HEY YOU!
HI Ho!
I smell the blood of a trash stealer
And you!!!
Put down my trash!
The ogre cried
I am the lord of this heap!
Bow and obey
And they say, that day
The heart of river relief grew 2 sizes plus 3
And let me tell you why.
Yes they did put down their treasure
Laid away their trash

For you see
River relief has many friends
Old and new and all so dear
River Relief has many stories
New and old, forgotten, and "imaginatively
created"(bullshit)

And that day they looked at the ogre
As he stomped and cried
And they looked and saw not an ogre
But a boy, alone, no friends, alone in the woods
No stories, no friends, only trash

And they saw
And they knew
This man with all the trash was very poor

And they were rich with friends and with stories
With love and laughter
And more to be discovered

And with hearts grown 2 sizes and 3
They spoke gentle apologies
And left that little boy behind
In his place of forgotten friends and untold stories

And with gentle hearts
River relief laughed and sang
To the beer!
With our friends!
Our stories!
Our hearts grown 2 sizes and 3!