Raven knowing
swoops out of winter into spring,
swoops out of winter into spring,
circling, circling.
He gurgles and burbles,
He gurgles and burbles,
like a river flowing.
R-r-rawk, r-r-awk quiver
Wake the sleeping River.
Red Squirrel
listening
skitters up the highest spruce.
She searches this way, that way, back again.
Bright eyes sparkle,
Bright eyes sparkle,
like a river shining.
Chit-chit, shimmer
Wake the sleeping River.
Ruffed Grouse
strutting
rearranges his feathers.
He beats his wings
like a river humming .
like a river humming .
Thum thum thither
Wake the sleeping River.
Wake the sleeping River.
Wolf
rising
climbs out of her own sleep
up the steep cliff.
She raises her head and howls, then takes off,
like a river running.
Yowl-yowl shiver
Wake the sleeping River.
Wake the sleeping River.
Snowshoe Hare
twitching
leaps to the air.
In two-color coat,
she bounds over familiar paths,
like a river dancing.
Run-run hither
Wake the sleeping River.
Wake the sleeping River.
Bear
yawning
gets up from dreams of fish.
Big-pawed and groggy,
he enters the light,
like a river turning.
Slap-flap dither
Wake the sleeping River.
Beaver waiting is not surprised.
For in his old winter lodge he feels the ice begin to shift, like a river moving.
Crick-crack sliver
The River The River
Raven circles and circles and circles
R-r-rawk, R-r-rawk quiver
Chit-chit shimmer
Thum-thum thither
Yowl-yowl shiver
Run-run hither
Slap-flap dither
Crick-crack sliver
Circle for the Giver
The River The River
River squints through eyes of ice.
She stretches and stretches and stretches,
waking up
breaking up.
R-r-rawk, R-r-rawk quiver
The River
shimmers for red squirrel,
hums with ruffed grouse,
runs after wolf,
and dances with snowshow hare.
River turns over with fish for bear
and moves in a new home for beaver.
And Raven-
Raven dips and soars
dips and soars
cutting the bright blue cloth of a sky
tumbling
flying
swooping
crying.
Together
Raven and River
gurgle and burble and roll their r's
R-r-rawk, r-r-rawk, quiver
Circle for the Giver
R-r-rip Raven R-r-rip River
Rippling rippling rippling
Raven flying
Raven flowing
Free.
By Nancy White Carlstrom, 1997
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