The Stream By Michael Scott

The water’s sweet smell fills all of the air,
The water flows past my feet with a chill in the air,
The leaves on the trees around the stream are red, yellow and green.

Flow of Life By Misbah Q. ,11

Oh river flowing slow and free
Stretching out as far as the eye can see
Splishing and splashing all around
Making such a soothing sound

River flowing to ocean
Ocean rising to rain
Rain splashing to river
Only to start all over again

An adventure of life
Rapids swirling with strife
Then smoothening in to ease
Flowing with the cool, gentle breeze

If I Could Be Water, By: Bailey Bystry

"If I Could Be Water" will be published in the River of Words 2008 anthology, River of Words: The Natural World as Viewed by Young People. Bailey was one of only three Illinois residents to win, and a finalist from amongst 20,000 entries.

If I could be water
I wouldn't be a pond
Muddy and brown,
I wouldn't be an ocean
Big and alone,
I wouldn't be rain
Falling again and again,
I wouldn't be ice
Cold and frozen,
I would be a river
Long, wide and free.

Peace by By: Kathrine C.

Bright spring morning,
Crystal clear sky,
Crisp fresh air,
Gentle clement breeze,
Glistening emerald leaves,
Swaying ticklish grass.
Pure trickling water
Smooth glassy stones,
Soft silky sand,
Peaceful river beneath my feet.

Calm River By: Genevieve C.

As the water trickles down the river, I smell nothing but crisp, fresh, air. I see tall trees and blooming plants, puffy, white clouds and the mountains in the horizon- a barrier. The river is calm and pure. I sauntered down the rocky hills and sandy shores and finally into the river. It feels just like I imagined, silky and smooth as I glide through the thin, calm river.

At the River

By Madline S.

I sit on a rock,
Hard and warm beneath me,
And I stare at the river ahead.
The earth beneath my feet is moist,
And I feel a soft breeze fly by me and around my shoulders,
As I dip my feet into the stream,
The coolness soothes my hot skin.
The river is like little ribbons lying across the earth,
It is like warm tender love flowing around the fish,
The waterfall ahead is my mother’s spilt tea falling off the edge of the table back at home,
Or millions of marbles crashing out of a jar and splashing onto the floor.
All of the sudden rain starts to fall,
Dripping down, down my face and body,
The droplets of the rain splash along the rushing river,
Making it move quicker and quicker.
The river now looks like a glittering piece of jewelry,
Rushing along toward the waterfall ahead.
As the day starts to become night,
I slip on my shoes and begin to walk home.
And I know that tomorrow I will come back to,
My Favorite place to be,
At the river.

AN OTTERS PLAYGROUND

By Caitlin S. Age 12


Blue cold water- icy pleasure in the mountains
Warm furry critters,
Munching on fish, nibbling weeds and scarfing down
clams
Sliding down mud. Plunging,
Ripples wash over their heads,
Bubbles tickle their bellies,
Churning the water as they twirl
Playful otters
Playground rivers
Freedom's little astronauts, weightless in the water

Nature’s Treasure by Katy E., Age 14

Liquid diamonds,
Slipping down a ribbon of sunshine.
Finned jewels weave in and out of the rippled light.
Creating prisms of luminescence
dark petite thieves warble around the crystal surface.
They dip and descend
Attempting to embezzle the glittering diamonds.

Emerald beds lie close to the ridge of the train of glittering silk
On hard stony silver crumbs.
As strong breaths ripple the calm surface
They break upon the silver and scattered themselves
Along the sprouting green limbs.
As the drops of light slip down the slim stalk
Into the copper earth below.

Heavy footfalls fall gently on their tender tips
Slightly dipping them back, scattering the drops of crystal light
Into a sweeping bracelet of color.
Bursting red and greens
Are beaded against hues of blues and yellows.
Brilliantly coming forth with all their shine
They kiss the drifting rays of light
As it disappears into the velvet case of Nuit.

Luna brushes over the drips of diamonds with a practiced hand.
She drenches their shine with her subtle glow.
Her gentle breath calms the gently flowing silk surface
scattering its tamed waves with crystals.
Dressing the mother in its evening jewels.
A crown of pearls fall from the heavens
Lacing golden beds in glitter.

Slowly light slips into the faint elegance.
Delicate creatures arrayed in bright hues of red, blue, and yellow
Flock hither and thither.
With dainty feathered gloves, they dip into the liquid silk.
Ripples swirl in the looking glass,
Reawakening the silent finned sapphires.
Crystalized pearls rest on the green satin and light the day
In a brilliant radiance.

My River By Anna S. 14

My River
By: Anna Soane 14
Whirling, swirling, twirling
Delicately reaching out to my soul
Its beautiful ripples each embodies a dream
A dream waiting to come alive
Dwindling towards mother natures arms
Slivers of hope following the gentle crests and peeks
Swimming, swimming along the side
The scent of the water creeps into my soul
Making me feel alive
As the frigid water splashes against my rock it kisses
my rosy cheeks
The howling winds reaching out towards me
As the sunsets and the stars align
and as I walk home
I hear the gentle crests and peaks,
pintsize splashesand the roar of the crickets
Then I realize that all I will ever need
And all I will ever want is
My River

Journey Through The Seasons

By Taskeen K. Age 10, Grade 4

River,
I can feel your chilly waters
Quietly rushing against my toes.
I taste and smell your misty air.
Through your clear blue waters I see
your nimble fish, quick as clouds,
and your smooth, cool, pebbles.

Your guards are the gray, jagged, snowcapped mountains
which keep you going.
For company you have the talkative Maples
And you respond with your swishing waves.
Before they shed their leaves
they glance in your shimmering waters
looking for their reflection
making sure they look their best.

In Winter, when the Maples hibernate
You gossip with the whispering grass.

And with Spring, the beavers come to help
carve out your meandering shape.

Oh River, who could have a more adventourous journey than you?

STREAM REFLECTIONS

By Sana K., Grade 3, Age 8

Little rock, little rock
I sit upon you day and night.
I sit upon you hearing
the streams and waves crashing by.

When I feel you
You seem like a pool of silk rushing past me.
I watch you and it feels like
You go right through me.

I love seeing the animals
I love hearing the birds
I love seeing the fish
I watch the water winding past me
Like a snake.
The croaking of the frogs
The chirping of the birds
Make me feel
Like I am at home.

All the nature is in me
I can feel it
Can’t you see.

I see the reflection of you
Like a mirror
In my heart.

River By Ajmal A. Age 9

In the river water flows
Sometimes fast, sometimes slow
Starts small then it grows
wider, wider every mile
Blue like sky
Fish like rainbows
On the banks, trees and houses
People fishing
boats floating
In the river
water flows