Moonfish
18" x 24"
acrylic / canvas

In a night of sudden madness
the fish defied the odds.
"Let's not ! Let's not ! Let's not !"
the salmon whispers gurgled
as the great bear moved in slumber.

"Let's not fight and gasp and roll
onto our backs and let our skin our flesh
become as bellyfill for the white head eagle
and lay there eyeless with panicked gills
and take the shameful end
Let's not !"

"We'll lay the eggs !The eggs ! The eggs !
we'll work as one , take to the moon
and not lay down and rot
for racoon's teeth
Let's not !"

And in the most astounding feet
a bid, a leap
the sound of immortality
stirred the jackdaw's thoughts
then silently his eyelid closed
as did the portal on one glorious night
as the moon kissed sky
. . . was filled with fish.

And day break climbed
as tooth and claw and beak came down to feed
. . . and stream was fishless
. . . and sky was moonless
and the only sound that still clear morn
was spawning water's laugh
and a far off breath.....
"Let's not. Let's not. Let's not. "