**The voice of Lou Henry**
(A lone voice whispers)
As I stood one sad afternoon
By The Mighty Digotee
The deepest of all rivers of fast-flowing dreams
Standing alone in here
In The Great In-Between
An image of a golden-haired girl
Drifted by and disappeared so fast
Reflected in the black waters
Ever-twirling serene reflective screens
Giving me a reminder of the sweetest image I've ever seen
So beautiful
Cosmopolitan
And who I knew would speak like a princess or queen
Even the great Cleopatra would have been so jealous
Her sparkling blue eyes
Would have turned emerald green
Then up came another
Floating quickly to the dark surface as the deep currents
Paid lip service
Showing her grown-up adult face
An incredible picture of her
Dressed from head to toe
In sophisticated white lace
Fighting life with a wry smile as it tried to take her with its sharp knife
As her pulse still raced
But like all things flowing in that fast-flowing river of deep dreams
The one we call the Mighty Digotee
Anybody standing by the Weeping Willow Tree
Will see sights of what could have been
If only they took a chance and conquered all their vulnerabilities
As I walked away due South to the second river
And watched the fast-flowing surface of the next one called The Fugentee
The river flowing with things that have eluded many
I suddenly remembered what that beautiful soul used to call me
But that's a story for a different day
As I watched that gentle river flow beside me
Filled with wondrous sights of what I could have been
I'm Lou Henry by the way
Filled will all things you could lose or cause you to feel empty
I always think
Is that why I keep seeing images of my beautiful first love
Called Jenny
The one who got sent by God and I left holding my brown suitcase
When I was foolish and just entering my twenties
Copyright John Duffy