Falling leaves of deep
yellows, reds
and varying shades of earthy
oranges
gather around my legs like
chickens
at feeding time until finally
they're full
and slowly drift away towards
the center
where they're caught up in
the rapid
current and swept away down
river
as I cast my fly into
circling pools
of slower moving water hoping
to sink my hook into a
rainbow
After an hour I feel the jerk
of the line and instinctively
tug hard in order to set the
hook
correctly as you begin
fighting me
the entire way to the surface
In my hand I can see the
damage
dripping from the corner of
your mouth
as I wrench it open to take a
closer look
You've swallowed the hook
deep
impossible to dislodge I cut
the line
hoping for the best as I
gently release
you back into the river where
you turn
onto your side and begin
floating
back up to the top trying to
stabilize
yourself until your body bobs
half out
glistening in the early
morning sun
I grab you and begin pushing
you back down into the water
trying
to rush oxygen over your
gills
wanting to keep you alive
long enough
for you to swim back to your
home
among the rocks at the bottom
of the river
But you keep returning to the
surface
and I continue pushing you
back down
Some time later shivering in
the cold
I look down at my numb hand
and realize you're dead and
let go
watching you make your way
out
to the center and into the
current
floating away with the leaves
I turn to look for the
footpath
that will take me back home
and start walking leaving
everything
I brought at the foot of the
riverbank
Email: billyallen@hotmail.com
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