Under a bridge, a river goes two ways, by the builder’s foot,
Nudging into the boatman, forthcoming, into the night’s
Swinging creed; alas, a boatman is coming! And
A river goes two ways, and a mottled spine reaches
And connects; along a builder’s back, in the bone-mist,
Below a bottom-dwelling, below the boatman, forthcoming,
By drenched bough-ripples and moss-lids, a boatman is coming!
And a river goes two ways under the builder’s spine, by a
Builder’s prayer, through eddies handsome, sacrament-blind,
Sighs the boatman, forthcoming, with oars stretching like the
Fingers of God, dipping in the blue blood of the boatman;
Alas, the boatman’s sin has passed; two ways a river
Goes to the ocean; born are the lasting eyes of the boatman.
Good use of alliterations and repetitions which gives a kind of urgency to the 'coming' of this 'boatman' who seems to be a kind of 'Jesus' figure, perhaps? Except, the Christ was without sin, therefore the 'Fingers of God, dipping in the blue blood of the boatman' then 'the boatman's sin has passed' kind of erased that similarity. Nevertheless, water in literature often symbolises redemption or a desire for redemption, so that the protagonist might find new beginnings.
An interesting poem that could spark many interpretations, no doubt.
Good stuff.