Maggie

Ribbons of water
Around unwavering stone
A lifetime close by
As polished is the stone
Maggie has her hands full
With buckets of sweet dreams
She’s headed back to boil the sap
And stops up at the stream
The river has been running high
And Maggie is no lass
She’s eyeing up the fallen log, the only way to pass
As soggy as a stallion rambunctious in the spring
It kicks at Maggie’s pails of sap and pulls poor Maggie in
Maggie shakes an angry fist she’s never been one for cryin'
She takes a vow to build a bridge or the devil take her tryin'
Maggie’s moving mountains, one by one
She coax them gently down to where the river runs
And all the while her boots keep time to the river’s song
As Maggie marches on)
She’ll pick the perfect pieces for her puzzle in the stream
And rocks in indignation don’t share in Maggie’s dream
So Maggie grabs a crowbar to persuade her stubborn stones
And they grumble and they protest as they move to their new home
Meanwhile, idle gossip is pastime for the birds
Maggie knows they’re mocking this foolishness of hers
They chirp about her mending and her dishes in her sink
But one thing Maggie’s learned is not to care what others think
And so the bridge goes slowly
For the river’s deep and wide
It takes another 20 years of Maggie’s sweat and pride
She’s come to lay the final stone and see her promise done
She finally gets to cross her bridge in the setting sun
And Maggie can’t remember now how it all began
She hasn’t tapped a single tree since starting on her plan
Maggie’s done with mountains now she’s just turned 81
She smiles because her boots keep time to the river’s song