We swayed on his boat
where three rivers merged.
Summer’s convection
sighed across chum and worms.
My eager reel tugged up
my first whiskered fish,
which bucked from its tail
to its razor-shred cheek.
Five more mouths agape, gasping,
our wide eyes rising on deck.
Catfish don’t feel, he said—
clapping as they thrashed.
Six gleams hurtled down, spinning
as he tossed them back,
where three rivers merged
into the ocean.
is a poet, writer, and birdwatcher from Texas. Her work is featured or upcoming in Gargoyle, Maudlin House, ONE ART, Rust & Moth, and other sacred spaces. Cosmic Daffodil Journal nominated her poem “Pearls” for Best of the Net 2025. Her favorite things are cozy blankets and iced Matcha tea.
