They lolled in the shallow warm water
Their lives were not without peril
Being favorite snacks for the otter
Our clams lived next to the river bank
We’d step on them when we’d go in
When bored we’d pry their shells open
An act which I now think a sin
The crayfish dug holes in the sand
They’d dart in their homes when we neared
Their claws made them look like fierce lobsters
Even so it was humans they feared
Some of the frogs had homes in the field
And the other frogs swam in the river
Easy to catch frogs in either place
When we grabbed them they’d croak and they’d shiver
Snapping turtles swam in the river at dusk
Steve shot a huge buck with his bow
We hauled it to shore behind our green boat
Turtle murder, the lowest of the low
Mudpuppies were the weirdest of creatures
They’d rest on the deep river floor
Sometimes I’d spot one right through the ice
They sure are an ugly eyesore
