Not fearing falling off the ocean’s edge
He sought the elusive Northwest Passage
The Halfmoon embarked in 1609
From the Amstel Canal out to the brine

He braved the cold weather in the far North
The fear of death sparked his crew’s mutiny
They put him on a raft and sent him forth
Finding the passage was not meant to be

Abiding with the cycle of the tides
Its current shifts from North to South each day
The crossing can be done on ferry rides
The river sends its waters to the bay

Its widest part is the sea of Tappan
Its highest source is Lake Tear of the Clouds
Delightful scenes open to eyes that scan
With mists the nearby palisades it shrouds

The region’s unique features stirred the soul
Inspired local artists launched a school
Among them Fred’ric Church and Thomas Cole
They crafted landscape paintings as a rule

Like arteries that bring blood to the hand
The river breathes sweet life into the land
A famous name you’ve more than likely heard
An “H” is what starts this six-letter word