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Fish-eye

Alison Prince

Up in the dazzling dryness, mayflies dance,
tempting with tastiness all those who dare
leap through the world’s skin into empty air.
The brave will trust their blood-stream, take their chance,
fall back in gasping glory. Danger brings
delight. Cruise through the cool, reed-pillared halls
in triumph – but beware. A shadow falls
across the sparkling ceiling, then outflings
a hiss of line. Watch for the sharp-hooked fly,
the fighting, hopeless drag to air-choked death.
Just once, a giant beast of boots and breath
plunged through the winter ice, lost to his sky;
and now the great pike, lord of deepest stones,
swims through the white cathedral of his bones.


Alison Prince

from The Whifflet Train (Mariscat Press, 2003)

Reproduced by permission of the author and Mariscat Press.

Tags:

danger fish fishing
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Alison Princeb.1931

Alison Prince is a poet, and prize-winning writer for children, who lives and works on the Isle of Arran.
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