A river does what it wants

It's the OG pioneer

Missouri River view from Fontier Airlines. Photo by E. Howard

A river does what it wants --
you can't stop it.
Everything's much clearer 
seeing it from this vantage:
the dance its doing,
its devil-may-care approach
to making its way in the world.
If you ask me, I'd say
a river is an artist,
a butterfly
a kid. 

It's the OG pioneer:
what else could it be?
It does what it wants:
snatching up paddleboats
hiding its worst moods
among the roots and mud,
trying its best to reflect on
the blue of the sky.

got to keep moving things along
got to take all this water
(etc.) out to sea.
I wonder what it thinks
when folks in noisy boats 
drag another one behind 'em 
on fiberglass slippers?
Coming around again!
They just keep falling.

I know it'd pick
pontoon over speed
any old day
(if it had a choice).
Or kayak, canoe,
noodle: muted vessels 
with an unpanicked
destination.

It's much clearer 
from here:
a river does 
what it wants
(artist, pioneer, kid),
its worst moods 
tangled by roots and mud, 
trying its best to
mirror the blue of the sky.

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April 15th is tax day. I wish you the best in getting your taxes submitted. If you are all set, I hope you can relax, lay back on the cool waters and look forward to a coming thunderstorm.