My Friend on the River

Animism is something that gets stronger in my world and in my life everyday.

Everything is people, rocks, trees, rivers, landscapes, birds, bees … all of it. People. Every one. Everything has an energy, a spirit. If you take the time to get to know things, they show you their personalities. There was a storm a few weeks ago that I almost asked to move in. Wowzers.

Kidding. Sort of.

A while back, not so far back as the Before Time (BC, Before Covid), Laura and I made friends with our local river god, by offering him whisky and tobacco (such a man!) and after getting to know him a bit, I wrote this song for him. I had to take my car to the car surgery place this morning, and when I drove over the river there was this gorgeous mist curling and spiraling up from the water, the whole surface was covered with ferny vining vapor lit gold by the rising sun, and I felt “a warm tingle in my belly” and the chuckling sexy presence of My Friend on the River, saying hi in the way only he can. It was a moment that made me think maybe mornings don’t completely suck after all. So this is for Jahiowa, the Spirit of Johnson County and one of the gods residing along the beautiful Iowa River.

For the guitar nerds: Standard tuning, played on my D’Angelico semi-hollow through my VOX AC15, with Blue Magic Music “Rock” strings, .011-.048, of course.

Have you ever seen a river smilin’
slow and easy?
Rainbows wink on the surface
ripples so pleasing
I feel a warm tingle in my belly
like a low chuckle
I know you river, you can’t hide from me

Chorus
And a sweet breeze comes up
And the sun glitters like gold
Waves come rushin’, I feel you pullin’ 
But there is such peace
When my friend on the river comes to me

I pour out a libation and I feel
your spirit wake
Sunlight and shadow spell runes
on your waves
I feel a warm tingle in my belly
a sure sign you’re near
I know you, river, and I’m so glad you’re here

Bridge
I could not have believed it
If I hadn’t felt you for myself
Feeling is believing
Magic opens up when you close your eyes and trust it

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