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Fishin'

Shiny, silver, slick and bright the swift
      sardines
shimmer through fractured, aquatic light
in schools.  In glimmering schools a diffused
light fans and drifts—strands of water

shimmer through fractured, aquatic light.
The boreal influence may influence these
fans and drifts of light—strands of water,
idle and loving, caress the flight of swift
      sardines.

The boreal influence may influence this
as twenty southern salmon swim,
idle and loving, in the flight of swift
      sardines:
the jaw-hook collared swell is strong

as twenty southern salmon swim.
The flashing rips.  The scales rise.
The jaw-hook collared swell is strong
in monument to this dizzied light.

The flashing rips.  The scales rise
as grandpa drives his old DeSoto.
In monument to this dizzied light
he wades into the river beach, with intent.

As grandpa drives his old DeSoto
his boyhood spools across his eyes—
he wades into the river beach, with intent,
but cannot loosen a spillage with debris.

His boyhood spools across his eyes—
shiny, swift, slick and bright he still
cannot loosen this spillage and debris:
in school it spooled a diffused light.

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