When Mom or Dad would pack us in the car
We'd drive down to the river to allay
The heat from our burning, shining star
Oppressive heat that smothered and delighted us
The rocky river bottom at the swimmin' hole
Cut sharply on our tender tiny toes
But we knew the coolest water was the deepest
How long can you hold your breath
There's a dragon fly on your shoulder
Are there really water moccasins under that bridge...
Look... my finger tips are wrinkled
And then one summer... neighbor Kathy
And the water became a great adventure
I could float forever looking at the sky
My parents hadn't much to give us In those days...
A blanket spread out underneath the shady elm
A glass of Kool-Aid summer sweetness
And the joy of knowing they were always there
But the river was the special treat
That got us through the weeks
Of no school and of drifting piled up clouds
Of twilights that lasted till bedtime
Father Zosima said the greatest blessing
Is the memory of a happy childhood...
But happiest we were when the days were long
And the full moon nights were hazy white with wonder
And the insects hummed and the grass was green
And eternity stretched out like a winding trail
More blessed than we knew
Because we did not ask for much
Just daddy's voice calling "come to supper"
And mama passing by with a tender touch
And summer, summer, summer, summer days
Days that linger in my memory's haze
And always in my mind I go back there
When summer days are long and the nights are fair
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