I can’t stop
thinking about him
the shiner they caught
hook in his eye
he thrashed about
then lay still
trying
to breathe
waiting
for worse
would he wish later
that he had put up a fight
we couldn’t get the hook out
the boy told me
and so the little shiner
is now part
of my story
a fish the size
of a slug
an autumn leaf
my baby’s soft foot
does it still hurt
or is it just a constant glint
like a star
lurking
did the other shiners
comfort him
when he dropped
back into his corner
of the sea
or did they
look away
the way we all do
sometimes
worried
just maybe
the suffering
is catching.