The river ran lazily
And the blue-tinged clouds separated
As I gazed upon the riverboat.
The front mast bent down, broken like my heart.
And the trees whispered quietly,
She’s gone, she’s gone.

The idea was inconceivable,
She had been smiling at my doorstep
But a few mornings before;
She must still be around somewhere.
The trees whispered quietly,
She’s gone, she’s gone.

As a child, she was my sun and moon;
The center of my universe.
Her sea-green eyes glistening
And rich chocolate curls bobbing as she ran.
Rosy cheeks lifted, showing pearly teeth,
She would gather daisies
To display in my breast pocket.

As a youth, she was a shining star;
A mischievous glint in her eyes
As she played tricks on me.
Her easy laugh resurrecting me
From the coldest anger,
From the deepest sorrow

As a woman, she was my universe;
Though young in mind,
She was as wise as Socrates.
Always seeing the beauty in the beast,
She put all before herself.
But a songbird can not stay in the nest for very long.

Which is why I let her go on the riverboat.

Traveling away to a new life,
She promised to come back in reunion.
So I let my songbird follow her heart,
And look where it got her.
The trees whispered quietly,
She’s gone, she’s gone.

How it happened, no one knew,
Only a pod survived.
The murky depths seized most breaths,
Chilling them and killing them
Their bodies were not to lay at rest
And so neither could my mind.


So I came to gaze upon the riverboat
Not feeling quite complete
But the sun broke through the clouds
And shone upon the second mast
Though slightly damaged, it stayed erect
The scene triggering an epiphany.

Though one mast had broken,
The other stayed aloft;
Damaged but whole.
Alive.

It is time to move on.

She’s gone, she’s gone,
The trees whispered quietly
As I gazed upon the riverboat.
I turned on my heel and walked away
Not bothering to look back.
I must stay strong like the upright mast!
She’s gone, she’s gone, she’s gone.