“A rowboat,” I thought

Art credit - Angel Dominguez 1996

“A rowboat,” I thought,
     “Classic that; 
I’m moving forward, 
      but looking back.
I fight the current
      to stay where I am;
to gain
      I’d have to row twice as fast. 

“As mad as a hatter,
      flashing through scenes,
I’m a wonderland version
      of me it seems;
like Alice
      grown worn and soul-fatigued by 
so many damnable 
      fever dreams.
I’m perplexed
      by what I see, 
and in despair 
      from where I’ve been.” 

“New currents spring,
      from where you’ve been,” 
said a cat with a grin 
     as he lounged on a limb.
“The currents I see
      from up in this tree 
flow past 
      as fast as I can blink.
Once the current’s
      passed downstream, 
it’s lost
      to possibility.   

“The current is future 
      when it’s upsteam,
 rippling 
      with uncertainty.
As soon as  
      it passes me
the current’s future is past
      it seems.   

“Confuses me
      entirely!
Yet it follows 
      logically,
with water 
      and with time you see,
the current’s 
      less perplexing 
when you dive into it 
      mindfully. 

“Get in the current
      and row my friend.  
If the boat rolls
      then start to swim.
Run aground?…
      jump back in
and begin again 
                             again  
                                        again. 

“Also, as a slight aside,
      water flows and time flies; 
never ‘round 
      contrary-wise.”
Then he was quiet,
      quite satisfied,
as he widened his grin 
      ever-wider than wide. 

Lee DeNoya - Charlotte 2020