We Gathered At The River Poem by Bernard Kennedy

When Leonard came to town, a farewell
to arms, we gathered at the river.
Anna Livia brought the wooden boats of memory
and together we laid right down there in the grass knoll.
Ate burgers, at the carousel, like sixty year old young things
do in memory.
He gathered us together, we were young again,
and sat down and laughed and wept in heart.

No longer wild at twenty, with henna,
and vinyl and molls,
but taking time to let down and stand.

We were led down our memory evocations,
letting it go, as therapy song,
evocative.
Remembering, repeating and working through.

we looked at our twenties, and thirties,
down by the river to farewell lane.
Its ok, to say, goodbye.
He came as a shaman of memory.