On the River
by Gary Phillips
Two older boys and me, loaded with gear
Came to the Green River in nighttime.
We trolled the river and laid out some lines
And water was over my chest at times.
It was a year like any other year.
Our forests lost and farmland gone to seed,
We caught some fish and cooked them on a fire
Watched the water and talked about desire
Howled at the moon and called each other liar
while Nixon wept and televised his greed
