A man git his feet set in a sticky mudbank, <br />A man git dis yellow water in his blood, <br />No need for hopin', no need for doin', <br />Muddy streams keep him fixed for good. <br /> <br />Little Muddy, Big Muddy, Moreau and Osage, <br />Little Mary's, Big Mary's, Cedar Creek, <br />Flood deir muddy water roundabout a man's roots, <br />Keep him soaked and stranded and git him weak. <br /> <br />Lazy sun shinin' on a little cabin, <br />Lazy moon glistenin' over river trees; <br />Ole river whisperin', lappin' 'gainst de long roots: <br />"Plenty of rest and peace in these . . ." <br /> <br />Big mules, black loam, apple and peach trees, <br />But seems lak de river washes us down <br />Past de rich farms, away from de fat lands, <br />Dumps us in some ornery riverbank town. <br /> <br />Went down to the river, sot me down an' listened, <br />Heard de water talkin' quiet, quiet lak an' slow: <br />"Ain' no need fo' hurry, take yo' time, take yo' <br />time . . ." Heard it sayin'--"Baby, hyeahs de way life go . . ." <br /> <br />Dat is what it tole me as I watched it slowly rollin', <br />But somp'n way inside me rared up an' say, <br />"Better be movin' . . . better be travelin' . . . Riverbank'll <br />git you ef you stay . . ." <br /> <br />Towns are sinkin' deeper, deeper in de riverbank, <br />Takin' on de ways of deir sulky Ole Man-- <br />Takin' on his creepy ways, takin' on his evil ways, <br />"Bes' git way, a long way . . . whiles you can."Man got his <br />sea too lak de Mississippi Ain't got so long for a whole lot longer way, <br />Man better move some, better not git rooted Muddy water fool you, ef you stay . <br />. ."<br /><br />Sterling A. Brown<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/riverbank-blues/
