"Susquehanna"

The River

I didn't start out writing this about a river, but as it took shape, it reminded me of how a river flows and grows.  Starting out as a seep or trickle somewhere in the hills, gathering speed and strength as it moves downhill, sometimes meandering lazily through broad flat plains, and eventually being dissipated into a larger body of water.

The Susquehanna River is the largest North American river that flows into the Atlantic Ocean.  It starts in the rural reaches of New York and Pennsylvania, runs down through the Allegheny Plateau, and empties into the head of the Chesapeake Bay.  It drains an area the size of Ireland - over 27,000 square miles.

The west branch of the Susquehanna Rover flows northeastward from western Pennsylvania, and joins the north branch flowing south out of New York before flowing into the Chesapeake Bay.

The Susquehanna is one of the world's oldest rivers, and predates the mountains through which it currently flows.

The Music

The piece starts in a contemplative mood and ends up that way, too.  Various things happen in the middle.