Have you danced the river’s twilight? Have you sung the water’s hymns?

Do you climb the golden sunbeams to where the crystal water ends?

“High above the shim’ring sky,” the age-ed catfish cried,

“There are things beyond us – to go some fish have tried.

“Just above: a place that’s dry and coarse, and filled with mortal woes.

“Many beasts inhabit there, and most of them are foes.

“For bears, and men, and serpents all do set us in their snares,

“And each such beast inbibes our flesh, be not taken unawares.”

The wisened fish did pause a bit, to behold the rippling sky,

His whiskers twitched a thoughtful glitch; a longing in his eye.

Then spoke again of things within, and well above the ways of man:

“Here we feed on slop and scum, and hope life has a plan;

“Sometimes we see quite past the logs and stones below,

“When glass about is clear and clean and lets our vision grow,

“But then at times the depths are churned and mud prevents our sight.

“Yet ev’n above the mud, and past the dry beyond it – there is Right.

“For there’s a place – there must be – of which the sparkling moonbeams speak.

“When rays of sun dance on the sky, and shimmer through the creek,

“They tell of things so bright and pure that any fool can know:

“A true and love-filled holy One has placed us in this flow.

“Behold the stars beyond the sky, and light cascading down

“The dancing beams speak Truer things than any dread or frown.

“Could you climb the sunbeam? Could you ride the sky?

“I know that there is Someone who can’t be seen by you, and I.

“I have fins, and I have gills, I was made foor such a place;

“What must one have to ride the air and behold His shining face?

“We may not be accustomed, we may not be prepared,

“And since there’s boundless predators we may be also, scared.

“But there’s a place, that some will reach if they forsake earthly laud…

“If I could but climb the sunbeam – if I but knew the Son of God.”