Francine Witte

The Fish Weren’t Fishin’

 

And night comin’ on, and really it was time to go. You said, it’s careful time. Night’s when the bears start bearin’, all tooth and claw, and we are delicious.

The dark is darkin’and comin’ fast, just like you said, like you had said about the end of us up ahead on the road.

I said things like try and vacation. I said let’s go back to where we began.

Let’s go back to years ago, to cabin and pine and squirrelchatter. Love was lovin’ back then. The soothe of skin, the hunger of tongues.

Let’s go back I said, your eyes all dim, you sighin’ the drive up the mountain.

And now, sittin here all day, the two of us. Fishless lake and heartache the only boat we even saw. We pick up our gear, and then there it is - the end of love end-of-lovin’, ten feet tall, nailpaws up in the air and ready to pounce. Bloodteeth about to clamp down.\

Francine Witte is the author of eleven books of poetry and flash fiction. Her flash fiction collection RADIO WATER was published by Roadside Press in January 2024. Her poetry collection is forthcoming from Cervena Barva Press. She is flash fiction editor of FLASH BOULEVARD and South Florida Poetry Journal. Visit her website at francinewitte.com