Rowboat

• Oars groan in the oarlocks
• and splash in the water,
• although they shouldn’t;
• they should silently dip
• in and out. The rowing
• should seem effortless
• and it doesn’t; the oarsman
• is sweating. The rowboat
• is heavy and the wind
• is against him. It’s a simple
• matter of being here and
• wanting to be there, on the
• other side, but men don’t fly
• and some crossings
• are more difficult than others.