A long time ago, When I was just a child; I came across a path, That was shaded from the light. Only once that summer, Did I follow that path; Curiously, Carefully, Cautiously, I followed that path. Not a moment did I hesitate, Beckoned by the rushing sound. The path made a winding turn, Then a near drop straight down to the riverbank; I had to run to keep from falling. As I reached the bottom, Everything calmed my upbeat heart. I saw a flower, White as snow; The petals gave off a magical glow That seemed to brighten everything around them. Carefully, I bent down next to the bush; I searched for a perfect blossom Not this one, Not that one. Gently I pushed aside the leaves; There was the perfect blossom, Glowing brighter than any other. I plucked it from the bush And held it in my hand. The petals were softer than velvet. I was so very proud of my discovery, I took the flower and ran back up the path; Granny would be so proud. It was much more difficult to run up than down. I was out of breath, Panting at the top; Forgetting about catching my breath, I skipped all the way back to my Granny's house. I bounded through the tall prairie grass, Leaped up the stairs, And burst through the door. Running up, Completely out of breath, I showed Granny the flower. She sat me down, And told me what it was; A special flower, That only grows in summer; Petals, White as a dove, Soft as a spring breeze. Since she was a child, They had always grown there. Granny held the flower and cried, "My dear, sweet River Valley Rose." She stopped a moment, Then continued on; "The day your grandfather died, My dear; I replanted that rose bush. He always loved those flowers. His little angels, That's what he called them. Once he was gone, It hurt to see them; So I moved it down by the riverbank." She paused and looked at a picture. "Tomorrow, I'll replant the bush; Back to my garden to grow." Just as she said, She replanted that bush; Now I take care of them, As she no longer can. My glorious little angels, My beautiful, sweet River Valley Rose.