I saw a river's birth and death

I saw a river's birth and death

I saw a river’s birth.
Glacial juggernaut melt,
Shedding unneeded girth
In unsullied mountain belt.

I saw a river grow.
Resilient bedrock cut,
By sprightly alpine flow
In bountiful deep earth gut.

I saw a river fall.
Coursing lifeblood stopped,
With choking concrete wall
The plain’s harmony robbed
In unending urban sprawl.