Crossing Poem by BASAB CHAUDHURI

Every crossing brings forth a chance to meet you,
every crossing is parting away for ever into oblivion -
one moment I am born, moment after I am no more,
whether you see me or not, I rise and I fall,
and the cycle continues.

The boatman has just left the shore -
there is no crossing for him,
he is alone cutting the waves
the sun shining on his eyes
he will sail far off.

The boatman sings:
'O my river,
where will you take me today?
The push and pull of the waves -
as if my heartbeats! '

One day I watched a boatman -
he left the shore,
I saw him become a dot -
slowly he was out of sight
into the horizon.

Since then, I ask myself:
When did the boatman come back to the shore?
Did he ever feel the crossing?
And the feeling of being and meeting,
and moment after, being no more?