Stakes For Sea Creatures Replaced By Something New

Shake off the escort who pulls you away 

returning from the pool on a maybe

Saturday.  Locked bedroom makes of days 

already a blur until shark suspended, you see,

in canvas transferred, from a hallway tank 

hatch, held aloft for a magician’s strait-

jacket dance.  Laddered zippering men flank

this fish, who has no chance now to escape.

To fate he’s lowered, coffin-sized box — next to 

others departing; nobody talks — stakes

for sea creatures replaced by something new.

Mistake believing it won’t happen to you —

another gilled creature men will subdue. 

Kristin Garth is a Pushcart, Best of the Net & Rhysling nominated sonnet stalker. Her sonnets have stalked journals like Glass, Yes, Five:2:One, Luna Luna and more. She is the author of seventeen books of poetry including Pink Plastic House  (Maverick Duck Press), Crow Carriage (The Hedgehog Poetry Press), Flutter: Southern Gothic Fever Dream (TwistiT Press), The Meadow (APEP Publications) and Golden Ticket from Roaring Junior Press.  She is the founder of Pink Plastic House a tiny journal and co-founder of Performance Anxiety, an online poetry reading series. Follow her on Twitter:  (@lolaandjolie) and her website kristingarth.com