Leaping Salmon Poem by Anthony Dalby

I will not dream another's sweet musings
when the truth is only partly known
the fruit is so sweet but of another knowledge

but face my own full on
naked in the darkness
and recognise that which has never been shown before
and dream it as my own

I will not share you with another
I cannot
for their knowledge would lack the spice of experience

I am the silver salmon driving out of the peat black water into the
daylight
Rising rising
timeless and heavy
Falling backwards into the darkness

I am inside you rising up through the water feeling the water rush past
my
flanks
light flickers above
Searching for the head waters

They are there. I smell them
Peatiness all round

I hold your flanks
Pass my hands to your front, beneath your gills
fingers just apart
sensing your power running past my fingers
Silver water running through my fingers

Pass my hands down your sides
Sense the water passing over my skin
Surges rising up
geysers of water silver spume

The salmon rises

My beautiful salmon, you rise and explode gasping in the electric air
showers of jewels tremble in the sunlight
the sound of a thousand water falls

The pinky darkness of your open mouth
catching the irresdecent droplets

Your flanks tremble in the sun

and fall

back into the enveloping water
bubbles rise
Dark fish sinks into the velvet darkness

Still Still Swish Still

Held like a chalice