oracle and spawn

swim fishies swim
swim for life, swim for love
upstream, where the river narrows
through the cold and vexing harrows
oracle and spawn, falcon and dove
swim fishies swim fishies swim

sybil and pythia descend from heaven
down the hill when sternly beckoned
not yet schooled in philosophy, philology
no letters acquired in transmutation
to merge, submerge, and re-emerge
perhaps.
As it has and as it will, past pretty pink nails
and pretty pink toes
unabated the river flows
innocence and waterfalls
swim

instinct and spontaneous urges
a last romance, hormonal surges
on gravel beds, in snow-melt rivers
muffled by the bubbles and the trickles
innocence and innocents

salmon swimming, salmon thrusting
while their weary bodies rusting
be still he says, and they comply
in pleistocene valleys, fall leaves rustling,
there under the high bridge, reluctantly trusting

swim
swim fishies swim
innocents, innocence
and screams
swim fishies swim fishies swim
swim and swim and swim and swim and swim
and swim and swim.