Time and the river

Here are the daffodils
         to tell us that the worst
of the winter weather is over
         the river banks are thronged
with families with children
         with couples strolling
hand in hand

Here are the flowers
         to remind us of what life is all about
about joy and love and leisure
         about release from the demands
of work and school
         about taking control of our time

Here there are street entertainers
         singers with their songs
to raise our spirits in case
         they needed lifting
guitars and accordions
         and showmen and women
encouraging the young
         to jump into the unknown
to trust in the bounce below

Here the river flows
         gently through our lives
carrying the shimmering sunlight
         out to sea and along with it
the years of memories
         of fathers before us
of mothers long gone
         time and the river
time and again

John Lyons