The River Lea is merry near the source
At the end, near human with remorse
It’s easy to be happy when all’s well
But when we are more troubled, who can tell?
Should we envy grass which floats along?
Should we envy sparrows for their song,?
At least we can reflect then we create
Cheerful through this world to navigate
The river Lea gets dirty and dismayed
When it gets near London its joy fades
It’s used for power and industry and toil
And so its natural charm has been destroyed
Yet in the war we needed all its wealth.
Radar was invented here by stealth
Now that’s all long ago but yet we see
The River Lee still crawls towards the sea
And so in human life it is the same.
Human life well lived may make us lame
