Mississippi

No more Native American canoes float over the waters,

now heavily laden barges set the river channel's pace.

Pleasure boaters dash to and fro at the edges, while

the Channel Catfish, Carp and Bass shelter where they can.

The river shines and sparkles in late-morning sun,

Moving soddenly through a large industrial area;

picks up tons of detritus while reflecting along the way,

as it journeys ahead, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

The river provides beauty and takes up tons of soil.

Our “Father of Waters” does a lot for people,

carrying barge traffic and pleasure boaters,

and various species of fish and crustaceans,

along with treated wastewater and storm runoff.

It has flowed for many years, even changed course

over the eons, and just keeps on flowing today.

Still an inspiring sight for any who care to gaze,

whether from high up on a bridge,

or next to a wooded riverbank.

I am so glad it is here to provide inspiration for me,

and hopefully for many, many generations yet to be.

Moving Detritus

Transitory Sweep

Fifteenth floor, deploy the broom.

Sweep steady, back and forth, back and forth.

Step down one, sweep the stair, poke the corners,

find some gravel? Sweep it into the scoop.

Step down one, sweep sweep sweep

do not lock the knees, that will make me faint.

I gain the rhythm, daydream some, occupy

different lands, times, worlds. Stumble,

right myself, pay attention: the landing is coming.

Sweep across the landing, check the corners.

Whew! Take some breaths, curse the stifling heat.

Sweep sweep sweep, got a coffee break to keep.

Sweep sweep sweep, it will be worth it on the

weekend, when payday arrives, ka-ching!

Ka-ching ka-ching, money into my bank account,

sweep sweep sweep dollars into retirement accounts.

Sweep sweep sweep - it will all be worth it.

See, there goes another floor, sweep past the exit door.

Back to the stairs, step down one, sweep sweep sweep.

Soon I reach six, where did those upper ones go.

Sweep sweep sweep, no here comes five, hurray!

Sweat drips down my polyester shirt, I shake it off,

sweep sweep sweep, take some deep breaths, keep going.

(No matter what I have to keep going.) May be over

sixty, but am getting closer to first floor now, and that

coffee break is closer than ever before. Just got to

keep my body going, sweep by sweep, step by step,

down, down, down into the basement stairwell.

Ahhh, coolness of lower air masses, and the sounds of

subfloor machinery. The last doors are breached, the last

landings swept away, the last rugs border-swept. And the

old body sweeps on to victory over dirt once again.

Wow, that must be some kind of record – at the least,

it all keeps the calories down. Sweep and done!

Saunter down the basement passage, sighing and gulping air.

Soon, coffee will follow. Ahhh.