A River Runs Through Him
Through an open dorm window
we could see it coming.
The rain pounding down in sheets.
Sweeping across the open field
towards us.
A cool fresh wind enters the room.
It reminds me of leaving
a room once full of my belongings
now empty, the floors swept clean.
It could be the first day
or maybe the last;
arriving or leaving.
But it is one day, a certain day
a moment in time.
A day that will not leave you,
one you cannot forget.
I remember a man
who was my mentor, my coach, my friend.
A man with warm words and an easy smile.
An outdoorsman, father of a spirit in me and in us
To explore, discover and forge ahead.
It has been many years
since I swam in that pool.
Returning now, it might seem small.
I would wonder, “Who swam in that lane?”
“Which was my locker?” And, “What happened
to that small red duffle that was my travel bag?”
The one I carried with me
to swim meets he drove us to and from
in a University van, returning in cold nights
and snowy evenings with heavy drifts alongside the road.
So may years ago now, I left that pool.
But there are other pools to dive into and enjoy.
And though I left that pool
there is water in it that has not left me.
And so we moved on
to another set of challenges
another season of meets
a part of us still rooted
in the people, the place
and the days we spent
with a man who believed in us
a coach who guided us
with his heart and with his mind
a man who, to this day,
still encourages us to reach our goals.
To Robert L. Northrop
Our Coach and friend
SLU Swimming: 1970-2000
With love and gratitude
From all your swimmers,
Lance