Along the Old St. Johns
Bill Graham
©2014
Stanza 1
I stood atop a hill,
Considering the pools,
Of life that teemed below,
Along the Old St. Johns.
And out across the beds,
Of salty river marsh,
I saw a treasured prize,
Of matchless worth to all.
Chorus
Oh Florida, your gifts,
Lay on your sandy shores,
And spread across your land,
In soggy fields and bogs.
Where alligators prowl,
And river otters play,
That’s where you’ll find the gems,
That glitter more than gold.
Stanza 2
The St. Johns, long and wide,
Sustains the manatee,
And floods our coastal plains,
With grassy fields and palms.
The mighty heron blue,
Depends on this, her home,
To hunt for precious food,
And feed her growing young.
Stanza 3
The chorus of the frogs,
Rings through the darkened woods,
Composing whole new songs,
As rain falls through the leaves.
Antiphonal, the calls,
Of birds from tree to tree,
Make music all day long,
With clear and timeless notes.
Stanza 4
Our thriving wetlands build,
A wall against the storms,
That threaten to engulf.
Our cities, towns and homes.
They yield a wealth of good,
We frequently ignore,
They spawn the fish we crave,
And cleanse our watershed.
Coda
That’s where it is, oh Florida.
Take care, and pass it on.
Artist: Bill Graham
Genre: Music
Bio: I completed a music degree, but consider myself an amateur nonetheless. I no longer perform publicly, but I still compose because it’s something that must find expression from deep within. I work as a technical communicator and information designer.
Piece: Along the Old St. Johns
Piece Description: My song celebrates the resources and natural beauty of the St. Johns River.