Captivity

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…Pahn has caught a fish
..........................................................................as long as a small

............................................................. child

a dark olive
.............out of a vague
.............................................................................wild periphery

and brought it back..................
to a deep ditch
to store

It lies quiet
at the bottom................................................................................
while Pahn wanders........................................

in consultations......................

The ditch quickly dries
.....................................................and the fish disappears

A young boy tells Pahn.............................................
it is buried.......................................................
in the mud..................................................

Carefully........................................................

Pahn digs with his hands...........................
to uncover
its translucence—

green..................
like a bony stream
encased in clear scales—

and lifts it................................
out of its bed

a squirming....legless
.......................................object of love
.......................................and care
.................................................................and carries it
......................................concerned

..................................................to the home
.................he has made for it
of concrete......and stone.............

but.......when he lets it............into the water............
...................................................it swims ............listless

..............in a world.......too.......bright..................a pond
too warm

he wonders
...............................................................where it will migrate
..................................................................with no great stream?

in the stare...................................
of those viewers

......................the glare
...................................of that light

He wishes
.............he had left it
...............................................................................in its place of

...............................................................................obscurity
where it came
....................................................as it went

but he was too lonely
to walk..................away...........
and too bound........................................................
to swim off...........................................................................................

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