The River of Years

By Andrew R. Duckworth

The valley held two dueling rivers
Of years and raw emotion.
The years got away from us
And we were left with nothing
But tantrums and rage.
Those who took away joy
Ran and hid it,
Buried it where no one could find it,
Or wore it like a badge
That not even the joyful
Could tolerate.
And so the joy was only temporary
As years drifted downstream
Towards unknown horizons.