The Museum Fish
by Steve Klepetar
strains across a long wall
brilliant in its many colors
on a sea of nails it swims
subtle curve from silver tail
to shadows of its sullen
mouth, has nothing to say to air
dead black eye reflects
a flash, rolls out to nowhere
sharp gills glint green, scales
tinged purple-blue flash
highlights of red gold in waves
of artificial light and somewhere
a boat hovers above the reed
bed swaying in swells, where
eyes twist into nets and lips
pucker with every breath
and gurgling sea trembles
as fingers bend hard into iron hooks
Gyroscope Review 10
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