Danube Salmon by Anonymous

swimming upstream, weighed

down by that which we carry

with us. water fills our mouths, vision blurred

due to thousands of years of human

development.

against the current, a struggle

to pull that which we need –

books, words, memories of a time before

everything went awry.

holding our breath, we continue

onwards—westwards. with heavy

hearts, we keep moving.

daring to be hopeful, we look

out and see no fisherman.

a reprieve. a respite.