A Late October Dawn

The brown flood that was flowing bank high yesterday Though somewhat subsided towards the ocean rapidly babbling it's way And in the cool gray of a late October dawn The salmon against the strong current are swimming upriver to spawn The urge to breed in them they do brave their fear And run the gauntlet of the poacher's gaff and spear Who search for to kill them in the dead of night In the river shallows with the aid of powerful spotlight To pass on their genes in them there is the need And in late Autumn they risk their lives to swim upriver to breed Though some their goal to breed due to poachers do not attain And they never return to the ocean again Against the strong current in the gray of a chilly October dawn The salmon are swimming upriver to spawn.