| Padraic Colum (1881–1972). Anthology of Irish Verse. 1922. |
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| 172. River-Mates |
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| By Padraic Colum |
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| I’LL be an otter, and I’ll let you swim | |
| A mate beside me; we will venture down | |
| A deep, dark river, when the sky above | |
| Is shut of the sun; spoilers are we, | |
| Thick-coated; no dog’s tooth can bite at our veins, | 5 |
| With eyes and ears of poachers; deep-earthed ones | |
| Turned hunters; let him slip past | |
| The little vole; my teeth are on an edge | |
| For the King-fish of the River! | |
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| I hold him up | 10 |
| The glittering salmon that smells of the sea; | |
| I hold him high and whistle! | |
| Now we go | |
| Back to our earths; we will tear and eat | |
| Sea-smelling salmon; you will tell the cubs | 15 |
| I am the Booty-bringer, I am the Lord | |
| Of the River; the deep, dark, full and flowing River! | |
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