Sunburnt Boys
Down on the Lumbee riverWhere the eddies ripple coolYour boat, I know, glides stealthilyAbout some shady pool.The summer’s heats have lulled asleepThe fish-hawk’s chattering noise,And all the swamp lies hushed aboutYou sunburnt boys.
You see the minnow’s waves that rockThe cradled lily leaves.From a far field some farmer’s song,Singing among his sheaves,Comes mellow to you where you sit,Each man with boatman’s poise,There, in the shimmering water lights,You sunburnt boys.
I know your haunts: each gnarly boleThat guards the waterside,Each tuft of flags and rushes whereThe river reptiles hide,Each dimpling nook wherein the bassHis eager life employsUntil he dies—the captive ofYou sunburnt boys.
You will not—will you?—soon forgetWhen I was one of you,Nor love me less that time has borneMy craft to currents new;Nor shall I ever cease to shareYour hardships and your joys,Robust, rough-spoken, gentle-heartedSunburnt boys!