I trail my hand in your waters
bones push apart
translucent, malleable a diatom, green algae floats alongside the pike
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
deep tissue ligament
bathed in blood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dissolve the duck’s foot gelatin, bathe,
bathe again
dinosaur feather floats deep in the limestone bed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
scratches
~~~~~~~~~
drops
~~~~~~~~~~~
down
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
dead
into the sediment: forever chemical seeps through the blood fish liver drifts falls
to time death
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
to time depth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
duck swims against strong stream, paddle on, forward,
to dread mud
to blanket of sudden fear
~~~
wings flap frantic
fox maw
~~~
drop to fish gullet, toothed tunnel into the shadow
down to chemical blood blanket
my fingertip feels the blood glitch, your alkaline water bite
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
to rest
rest
feather, skin, now my hand
floats fierce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
down stream
this hand this feather my bones lie deep
