bucket fish

an excerpt

She holds the line between her thumb and forefinger. Lowers the squirming crawler into the dark green water. Watches it disappear between the bare blackened branches of someone’s discarded Christmas tree. Strands of dirty silver tinsel wave with the current as she considers all that could be down there. And why.

Back at camp. Crickets chirp. Frogs peep. She sits on a stump. Knives her in belly. Bucket clenched between her knees.

Something—an animal—breaks twigs in the woods. Her chest tightens. Back aches. She pulls the bucket closer. Crosses her arms. Watches the sunfish float in dirty water. Gills in. Gills out. And together, they wait for the big sky to finish its switch from light to dark.

~ from the short story book, DEVOTION