Last Rite

You flow in the Ganges,
formless, fearless, free.
I take a tentative dip,
alienated, afraid, alone.
I hold the breath,
closing eyes to wet grief.
You are weightless.
You dance on gentle waves,
basking in the golden sun.
I am weighed down
with vague uncertainty.
Not knowing how to swim,
afraid of drowning,
I rush back
to humid, crowded shore.