Fish:
There I lay on the street, forever
Gazed, the corner of my Open eyes
clouded and glassy
at the chickens, hanging
neatly, diagonally above
how amazing that their feathers turned
into crispy, golden brown skins.
And a trunk lying near, facing me
its luminous rings spiraling
soothingly inward, to the pith
echoing soundless tunes
And I kept wondering What
makes all those between earth
and sky succumb to you
a tiny wonder of all that be?

Then I felt myself:
heat beneath and above brushed across my swollen fins and tail
You dropped me there, to make
me feel

Warmth
so I forgave you, for you had assumed
I was cold

In a moment
my scales glittered like silver
more feet stopped to surround me
then I heard “Uh, it’s not”
and they faded away
I was glad their heads were gone
So again, my dilated pupil met —Skies! Skies!
Sun painted the heavens with gold and orange
for the first time, I thought
of coral reefs

I then pondered upon days ahead:
when the sky weeps
and his tears sometimes freeze
among all those lives on the street
I’ll be the only one who would never need an umbrella.

Days, years later
rain washed away my flesh
air replaced me.
But what a forgetful mind
my soul there, forever.