Wednesday, February 14, 2007

A Man and a Fish



A man had fallen on his back and dreamt a long time. There were dreams of foxes. There were dreams of blue eggs and cats licking batter off their paws. When a man comes to dream a long time, he sees things accutely.

The ice hums. The auroras yawn and unfurl. The waxy bills of seabirds drip into the sky. The world ribbons.

Seeing the man on his back, dreaming, a fish had jumped from the lake. They stared and stared.

"Who are you that would stare at my dreaming?" asked the man.
"Who are you that would question my looking?" replied the fish.

Thus the man thought the fish was his dream and the fish likewise. They stared in their dreaming. Icebergs calved into the ocean.

3 comments:

Limonada said...

I'm in love with this poem. I dream about fish all the time. Seriosuly.

Oliver de la Paz said...

Thanks Ada!

I thought I'd invoke my inner Edson.

Brent Goodman said...

Oliver,

Stunning! I'm from wisconsin and thought I new the story behind this photo, but I was wrong! You did.

Brent