A Dream by The Charity by Bikram Kumar Mohapatra

Clotted dreams

Charter in the eyes of a boatman

This is the moonlit night,

The impulsive darkness

reigns on the havoc

and the sleepwalker closes his eyes.

(The uttering words

Split into pieces.)

This was the time,

a snail strives to ascend

the immobile fingers of the

out-stretched hand,

slipping, crawling inch

by struggling inch.

The cruel slope

of unresponsive flesh

unfaltering, blind.

Suddenly,

an uncertain light of the Sun

awakens the boatman

His impatient love slips

from the curve of its flight.

The boatman clutches his oar,

forces the pace

without knowing

that where he is going

though he is too weak and old.