A meandering stream runs close to a rural church dear to his childhood

With clear water in springtime, turned a sullied brown by summer’s end

Its babbling sounds still echo in his mind with memories that are good

He’d sit on the banks with a fishing pole in hand next to his best friend

A stone he would toss into the shallow brook, splashing the surface above

Wondering where little waves go as the ripples returned to an even flow

It was a period of peaceful adventure with nature, a time he truly did love

Decades later he’d reminisce as a smile formed, feeling a warm inward glow

Streams of people’s lives flowed through the steeple-pointing church nearby

From the waters of baptism to confirmation and weddings, even onto dying

In the back cemetery you can hear the life-giving water flow beneath the sky

God’s love surrounding all who tread life’s waters, tears of joy in the crying!