the water writhes
when the tadpoles emerge
a thousand bodies
blossoming in the muck
and only one will live
to grow eyes
to reach the shore and
see a thousand other
blossoms fiercely, briefly
dancing
We dance for as long and short as the time we have
Life is important.
For more stories of life, The Guests of Honor, is available here. Its sequel, With Honor Intact, can be found here.