Steffen Basho-Junghans - Rainbow DancingThe Beginning of A Short Biography of Edward ZimmermanZimmerman, also known as Der Zim, began composing poetry at the age of two, which was the age at which he began speaking. The boy's every utterance was in meter. Trochees, iambs, dactyls, spondees, all manner of poetic feet came tumbling out of his mouth. "A natural," his parents said. "A wonder!" the local schoolmaster proclaimed. "A miracle, by God," the pastor said. Der Zim was a delight to listen to, as he vocalized every thought that flew through his head. He once, at age eight, compared himself to a bird, with his "lifelong song." People came from farms as far away as Shoemakersville and Griesmersburgton to hear him speak. He brought joy to hearts rimed with grief and brought overjoyous joy to hearts already fretted with happiness. He once spoke for eight straight hours at the Reading Heritage Gathering and Volkstrom, standing on a stage under a tent, where he was aided by attendants who splashed his face with water and lemon juice to keep him from overheating. Der Zim sadly drowned before reaching the age of twenty-five; while swimming in the Schuylkill River, he was caught in a strong current and swept out to the Delaware River and then out to sea. Some say there were bystanders who heard his last verses, his cries for help as he was drowning, and those who heard failed to help, so buoyed were they by his poetry, that they paid no attention to the meaning of his words, and only listened to the underhum of song.[Buy Rivers and Bridges]