The Fish | Poem

The Fish Poem Text

wade
through black jade.
Of the crow-blue mussel-shells, one keeps
adjusting the ash-heaps;
5 opening and shutting itself like
an
injured fan.
The barnacles which encrust the side
of the wave, cannot hide
10 there for the submerged shafts of the
sun,
split like spun
glass, move themselves with spotlight swiftness
into the crevices—
15 in and out, illuminating
the
turquoise sea
of bodies. The water drives a wedge
of iron through the iron edge
20 of the cliff; whereupon the stars,
pink
rice-grains, ink-bespattered
jelly-fish, crabs like green
lilies, and submarine
25 toadstools, slide each on the other.
All
external
marks of abuse are present on this
defiant edifice—
30 all the physical features of
accident
—lack...
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