POETRY

The Slippery Fish of Love

Waiting in the river of life for love to swim by

I sit in the river of life Waiting for the slippery fish of love To swim by And when I see it approach I grab it I hold on tight But the slippery fish of love wiggles out It pops out of my grasp And I watch as it swiftly swims away

So I wait for the next slippery fish of love To swim by

This time I use a net I swoop it up But the slippery fish of love feels trapped It can’t breathe So I release it gently And watch as it swiftly swims away

And I wait for the next slippery fish of love To swim by

This time I use a hook I yank it out of the water But the slippery fish of love feels ensnared It’s been seized So I release it tenderly And watch as it swiftly swims away

My frustration grows With each failed attempt To hold onto The slippery fish of love

Then I pause and wonder Maybe love is a slippery fish for a reason Because it can’t live When it’s been grasped Or trapped Or ensnared

Love needs space to live And breathe And swim And grow

So I sit in the river of life once more I become comfortable with its coolness I settle into the softness of its sand Its swirling water encircles me And I wait patiently For the next slippery fish of love To swim by

And when it does This time I won’t grasp I won’t trap I won’t ensnare

This time I will wait For the slippery fish of love To swim to me To linger And to dwell

And when it does This time Together We will float And swim And grow And dance

Kasey Sparks, © 2021