Echoes on the Mississippi

Step aboard, let time rewind,

Where river breezes softly bind.

Past and present, fate aligned,

Beneath the Louisiana sky, stars shine.

The Steamboat Natchez, bold and grand,

Carries reflections from the southern land.

When steam and paddle wheels combined,

Ruled the currents, leaving wakes behind.

The paddle wheel begins to spin around,

Churning tales deep and beyond.

Of merchants, travelers, songs once sung,

Whispers of adventures that astound.

She glides away, a journey begun,

The city’s silhouette, delicate and fine.

Guided by a captain’s call, profound,

With dreams and destinies entwined.

On deck, the river whispers rhymes,

With trumpets’ wails and basslines.

Live jazz swirls, feet dance,

A rhythmic, joyous sound.

Jambalaya, gumbo, red beans fine,

Cornbread soft, and pudding divine.

Each bite a taste of history's design,

Of Creole love, culture intertwine.

Saxophones, trumpets, hearts entranced,

Feet tap as spirits soared and spun.

Dancing shadows, music prance,

Echoes of laughter, delightful fun.

Each note recalls a time once mine,

A childhood echo, soft and kind.

The river held my grandpa’s line,

His stories drifted with the brine.

So take a ride, just one last time,

On Natchez with her Southern charm.

Where music, river, and stories sublime,

And echoes of the past still chime.