The River

You cannot change the direction in which a river flows, but you can alter its course;

With time, patience and a lot of hard work.

And the whole while, the river will constantly want to veer back to its original path,

Because that is how it has always run, and that is where it feels secure.

Only, a river does not realise exactly where it travels,

It just flows in the moment, it has no need to think of what is ahead.

For all the river knows, it could be headed to a waterfall,

Where it loses its identity - its flowing glory - and tumbles to the unknown below.

Or perhaps it is headed to a lake, where all is dead and unmoving,

Where all it can do is grow stagnant.

Or maybe it will forever just remain a flowing river.

Whatever the case, a river can never experience the vastness of an ocean if it does not flow along the right path.

It cannot know that freedom, unless it finds the correct route -

Or perhaps has that route shown to it.

But every river has its sense of independence,

And it won't be told in what direction it should flow,

Even if it knows it may be headed towards a waterfall or a still lake.

...

But all in all, the river will always keep flowing.