Strange Contrast

Some thirty years have passed Since I last went to Koblenz And leaned out from the battlements Of the town's protective Fortress. They call it Ehrenbreitstein Which overlooks the confluence of the Mosel and the Rhine.. The pale and pristine waters Of the river down from Trier Contrasted to dark, dank Rhine With industrial waste to bear. For many hundred yards the two streams Side by side refused to join together, It was a weird sight The Mosel on the left bank The Rhine upon the right. The narrow stripe so pure The wider one distressed Until the mingling waters Became a single mess. Much has been achieved since then In cleaning up the Rhine But that amazing image Remains forever in my mind.