Papa By The River

Papa By The River

He was raised on an island
In the middle of the Missippi
A two room cabin on stilts

A boy of the river
Who became a man
Full of life and expectations

Serving his country
in the U.S. Navy
During World War Two

The father of five girls
making him the sole male
in the household

Fishing was not only
a source of livelyhood
but also serenity

Life's lessons he
offered to me
in his own subtle way

My best friend in life
My confidant in death
My Papa by the river