MLK Miracle Fish

I had a dream

only mine was about

holding one of those

cellophane fortune teller fish

in the palm of my hand

I watched the transparent tail

miraculously curl skyward

but I was indifferent then

the nose began to wag

jealousy rearing its ugly head

Soon the whole fish peeled

away from my hand into

a passionate curl then

flipped itself over writhing with

the falsehood of a red herring

One day may all fish live

in someone’s warm palm

where they will not be judged

by the color of their transparent skin

but by the content of our character

~Andrine de la Rocha

posted 1/21/2011