The multitude gather,
aged and frail, bathe
in the beautiful river,
wash in forgetting
clean as any absence ever was.
Then all dissolves
to a home
which is not home.
Blank confusion
stares out at bland walls.
Worried hands work
against each other
to find … what was it? …
grasped
a mere moment before.
Behold this sleight of hand
of mind upon the self
where the wide river
shrinks to a dead cistern
and the coin never held
never drops
into an empty well
of wishes never asked.
Poemblaze Blog 
Beautiful, Matt. Funny to read this now as I’ve recently read two books featuring the River Ganges in all its glory and horror.
Thank you. Rivers do bring all sorts of associations. I had Lethe in mind (so to speak).
the wide river shrinking to a dead cistern…. that makes my heart ache…so sad when there’s no room for wishes to be asked..
Is that the bridge Monet painted?
There is an old pond near my home that was used for Baptisms for many years. It is now in ruin, dam breached, almost dry. Like your cistern. Powerful.
Thanks for the comment. The bridge is in the Japanese Garden section of the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, MO.
I enjoyed this – beautifully written I think – “… Wishes never asked” With Best Wishes Scott http://www.scotthastie.com
How can wishes be granted if never asked? A dry empty well is a sad image..
I’ve added some lines to make the poem’s intent more clear.
I guess everything has a beginning and an end…even wide, lively rivers.
I love the way this ends… taking you back up to the title. So many of us fail to ask for what we want, and yet somehow still expect to get it. A great write!
Thanks. So many people had no idea what I was writing about I added a few lines to fill in some info.
A wishful thinking never asked.. that’s sad.
beautiful, and a tad of sadness… but there is depth and beauty even in that which brings forth such pondering…
New favorite. Am aware of how I want to make it mine, which could be the point?
Thank you. I suppose one of the goals of writing is making someone wish they’d written it.
I love your writing. The only thing I don’t like about it, is it makes me want to give up.
Sorry it makes you feel that way. I’ve not been the most cheery lately. There are more uplifting poets you might want to read.
I’m sorry my friend. Your work only makes me want to give up writing, not living 🙂 As a very wise man once said, (Chris Pine, of ‘Lone Ranger’ infamy) “if you’re not as smart as Socrates, you’re stupid.” Still, I think you’d agree that all humans can benefit from some creative outlet, or another – even the ‘stupid’.
Thanks for clarifying. Don’t give up writing, either.