THE MERRIMACK BY

 JOHN KING 

THIS RIVER IS OFTEN CURSED.

 THEY SAY IT IS  P0lluted

AND CARRY,S THE WORST.

THE RIVER I KNOW'

GLIDES THRU THE VALLEY SO VERY SLOW,

SLOWED DOWN BY THE DAM IN LOWELL.

AND MISLED BY THE CANNALLS,

PAST OLD MILLS THAT LOOK LIKE

 RED BRICK WALLS.

DRIFTING THRU DRACUT TOWN,

LOTS OF ROCKS,

SELDOM ANY BOATS WILL BE FOUND.

IT ARRIVES IN METHUEN

JUST RIGHT FOR

 FISHING AND CANOEING

FISH BROOK DAM IS ON THE RIGHT

MADE BY MAN IT IS A UNUSUAL SIGHT

IT RETURNS THE WATER

 BACK TO  Haggart,s POND

TO KEEP THE LEVEL JUST RIGHT

INDIANS SPENT THEIR  SUMMERS ON DEER RUN RESERVATION .

 IT IS TO THE LEFT OF THE DAM.

INDIAN LIVED HERE I HAVE HERD,

 HUNTING, FISHING, 

  AND  CATCHING WILD BIRDS.

ACROSS THE RiER I  SEE PINE ISLAND,

QUITE AND GLUM.

WAITING FOR WEEKEND CAMPERS TO COME.

LOOK A LITTLE TO THE RIGHT

AND YOU WILL SEE,

THE HEAD OF A MOOSE

SHAPED IN A PINE.

NOW I SEE MODERN,  MANS GAINS.

A DRIVE IN MOVIE, JACKSON'S RESTAURANT,

AND EVEN SEA PLANES.

JUST PAST THE BRIDGE, ON THE RIVER BANK

AND YOU FIND A SPRING

A WOODEN BARREL IS IT'S TANK. 

PADDLE DOWN TO SECOND CREEK

IT LOOKS LIKE THE EVERGLADES

THE WATER IS ONLY  DISTURBED

BY THE CANOES BLADES

AND SEE SUN TURTLES GETTING WARM ,

IN THE HOT SUN

AND IF YOU ARE LUCKY YOU WILL SEE

BLUE HERONS IN WATER

UP TO THEIR KNEES

JUST PAST THE GRANNIT LEDGE ,

 THE WATER IS SIXTY FEET DEEP

AND IT WAS NEVER DREDGED,

 BUM HILL LOOKS DOWN FROM ABOVE.

WARE YOUNG COUPLES

 WENT AT NIGHT  TO MAKE LOVE.

A BIG DAM WE CAN;T FORD.

IT WAS BUILT WITH

 GRANNIT FROM WESTFORD

IT WAS WIDE ENOUGH FOR TWO WAGONS

TO PASS WHEN CARRYING THEIR LOADS

THE TOP LOOKED LIKE A TWO LANE ROAD.

IT WAS SHAPED LIKE A WEDGE

TO HOLD BACK THE RIVER,

EVAN THE THIRTY EIGHT FLOOD,

COULD NOT MAKE IT QUIVER.

PAST THE DAM I AM ASHAMED

OF WHAT I SEE,

WASTE AND JUNK,

 LEFT BY CIVIERLIZED MEN

LIKE ME.

MAYBE SOME DAY THEY WILL CLEAN UP

 THE MERRIMACK,

AND MAAAAABE THE SALMON

 will come back!

 

I wrote this poem around 1975..

Now it is 2009 and the river is cleaned up and the salmon are back!

This river is almost clean enough to drink now. 

 

tThis, proves men can do anything when they want to. 

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