Stone Loach
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By skinner_jennifer
- 5930 reads
By day this cold flesh wrapped
in shades of assorted pebbles,
suddenly stirs...slips out of sight;
craving no gathered companions,
preferring environmental solitude,
now swerving into deeper silence;
tunnels through river festooned,
deep vegetation feverishly searching
coiled shadowed plants are lurking,
cool-eyed glances deep-rooted;
by day needs to scurry away,
not in fear...its shyness;
wishing for night time's resume
multitude of larvae to feast upon.
Then when velvet darkness blazons,
stretches limits across water canopy,
eddy surface desolate and promising;
this tiny fish still feeds at deepest depths,
invertebrates satisfy...there are many;
sensitive whiskered barbels fringe,
stony clean riverbed this fish desires,
finding its nirvana no journey too long.
Free to use image.
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Comments
Wonderful, love all the cold
Wonderful, love all the cold and dark and coiling.
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This lovely poem of velvet
This lovely poem of velvet darkness and whiskery barbels is Pick of the Day. Some gorgeously evocative lines. I love the thought of their 'cool-eyed glances'. (I hope you don't mind, Jenny, I changed the image as the one you used had watermarks. I picked this one, which is very similar: https://tinyurl.com/s48hx7vr). Do share on social media.
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"this cold flesh wrapped"
"this cold flesh wrapped"
"suddenly stirs...slips out of sight"
"now swerving into deeper silence"
"feverishly searching / coiled shadowed plants"
"cool eyed glances"
"shyness:wishing for night time"
"sensitive whiskered barbels fringe"
what an amazing portrait! You have described the essence, character, life urge of your subject in a way more intimate than film, for the space of your poem I felt like I was a loach
I am hoping you must be feeling better, to write this brilliantly?
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This is brilliant Jenny.- I'd
This is brilliant Jenny.- I'd never heard of a loach before. Congratulations on the golden cherries - hope you're feeling better now?
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Very interesting, Jenny!
Very interesting, Jenny! Rhiannon
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I loved this discriptive poem
I loved this discriptive poem of this bottom feeder fish, and your poetry took me into this deep dark world. Well deserved POD Jenny.
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Dear Jenny, this week's I
Dear Jenny, this week's I inspiration Point has proved to be so popular that it has produced three Picks of the Day - one of which is yours - in addition to many other cherries.
I congratulate you for regaling us with a fine poem worthy of the aacolade that confirms what a good poet you really are despite your protestations to the contrary.
Luigi xx
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Poem of the Week
This beautiful piece is our Poem of the Week! Congratulations!
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Hi Jenny,
Hi Jenny,
Some lovely and evocative language in this as it coils and twists through the water..
Well done on Pick of the week!!!
hilary
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no journey too long or short,
no journey too long or short, Jenny, like your poem.
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Congrats on pick of the week
A very informative poem about a mostly overlooked fish described in a very delicate way. Good to see these important small small creatures brought into the limelight. Nicely done.
Ed
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Hey Jenny, another great
Hey Jenny, another great nature poem. I like the setting of this one maybe because it just isn't as common a nature setting. Wow, look at the awards you got for it! Congratulations on the well-deserved cherries and picks.
GGHades502
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Beautifully done.
Beautifully done. Congratulations on a thoroughly deserved POTW!
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Hi Jenny
Hi Jenny
Such a nice story about the loach. I don't often think of fish as having needs and desires, so this was a good way for me to be informed.
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Well deserved.
Hello Jenny.
Congratulations on your golden cherries. They are well deserved.
I really enjoyed reading your poem. Your words put clear images in my mind of not only the shy but busy little fish but also all the features of the river environment in which it lives. I've never seen a loach ... except Ken.
I hope you are well.
Turlough
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