The arbitrary assignment I gave myself was to write a poem about a school of little fish and to use 5 words per line/5 lines per stanza as the form. This poem was published in Whiskey Island Magazine (Summer 1989).
The School of Little Fish
They stood looking down at
the school of little fish.
I seek the black fish
said the old one for
it cures the pain of
age. I shall have the
green fish whose flesh gives
great vision claimed the learned
one. Said the pretty one
I want all the pink
fish for my collection. The
fat purple fish are mine
cried the hungry one. The
young one gathered all the
fish and threw them high,
high and they fell back
like rain on corn like
drops of lava like good
news like stones thrown from
a bridge like the arms
and legs of soldiers like
snow like memories of love
like leaves like words on
deaf ears like candy from
a piñata like little fish.
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