Member Poem

The Wearer of Koi

It’s true, koi are kept for decorative purposes
and these silk ones sport long, curly lashes,
matte mauve bodies, hook-proof and rooted.
Brocaded carp, the live ones are called. Beauty
perseveres all over your blouse, one not far
from a teardrop, a small pond near your breast-
bone. I should warn you, one tear can hang
on for years after someone leaves. So you may
know what to wear, but not what to say. Say
buying lace was a good mistake, worn for
no one. Or that fish represent all that does not
make us weep. Some even survive under ice.
They come back to life minutes after placed
in a pot of warm water, frozen solid all winter.