St Louis, Missouri 1927 Prohibition is in full effect.
Amidst the sounds of crickets chirping and a distant riverboat horn, a violin could be heard playing on a bridge overlooking the river.
“Old Man River!
That seems far too austere a name for something made of mirth and rage. O, roiling red-blood river vein. If chief among your traits is age, you're a wily, convoluted sage.”
Rocky laughs, and plays a note
“Is "old" the thing to call what rings the vernal heart of wester-lore? What brings us brassy-myth made kings. And a preponderance of bug-type things. To challenge titans come before!
O, demiurge to a try at Avalon-once-more?
And what august vitality in your wide aorta stream. You must have had to oversee alchemic change of timber beam to iron, brick and engine steam!
Your umber whiskey waters lance the prideful, sober sovereignty of faulty-haloed temperance, and wilt her self-sure countenance; Yes, righteousness is vanity. (chuckling) But sport's for imps, not elderly.
So if there's a name for migrant mass of veteran frivolity That snakes through seas of prairie grass and groves of summer sassafras; a name that flows as roguishly as wild waters, fast and free,”
The violin stops
“It's your true name: Mississippi.”
Rocky turned to face you with a grin. “Encore?” He then tilted his head a bit. “No encore?”