On Finding Four Fish in My Grass

Elisa A. Garza

June 2, 2022

A pandemic is a sign 

of apocalypse, a plague

that won’t end.  But I worry

more today about the fish I found

this morning in the grass,

laid elegantly on their sides,

each eye glaring at the sky

like a burned-out beacon.

Only one is damaged, a few 

missing scales tempting

green-black flies to feast

and leave eggs that will soon ripen 

into greedy maggots that will eat

the flesh away.  The other three fish 

flex their tails in a soft curve

as if they are swimming,

moving smoothly through the grass,

seeking open water, as we

seek a life beyond illness,

beyond fear of infection,

seek freedom from plague,

from pestilence, 

freedom from fearing,

from our own end,

an end we know is near,

an apocalypse nigh, 

a plague of fish

just one of many signs.

Elisa A. Garza, a native Houstonian, has published two chapbooks, Entre la Claridad (Mouthfeel Press, soon to appear in a second edition) and Familia (The Portlandia Group). She has taught students from elementary through senior citizens in public schools, universities, and community programs. Currently, she works as a freelance editor.