Gently, Down the Stream

I row this boat
that I call “my life”
down the stream of time,
forgetting, mostly,
that it is all a dream.

Sometimes
I strain frantically
against the tug
of life’s unfolding,
convinced
that my very essence
depends on my resisting.

Or, I may row gently,
half waking from the dream,
enjoying the flow,
tranquil and trusting
that these waters will take me
wherever
I am meant to go.