Fancy Considers and Re-Considers “Dinner”

In the Final Book of domesticity Fancy considers and re-considers “Dinner” in her memoir entitled: Memoirs Of a Gray Shawl:


Fish


inner body—flash
outer sleeve: the setting takes place
in a stream

then red canters in, silver
dashes

first innards, the mock lung
then the skin.

red-flash-silver

inner body/outer sleeve


angled the pearled light,
reflection and refraction
of this water as medium
this flesh as rainbow

copper heat, bright blood, paper gill,
the ruddiness of oxygen
in the cut throat
trout made all mouth and held agape

one side of the scales unveils a treasure:
this is where the gutting comes in.

and then there’s the fisher who allures it

who flanks it with a willow, a branch
a bough bending in real time
in a slow passive kill

death means to speak bluntly:
somewhere a buck knife
clicks into place making
the sound of a frankness.




The Fish Supper


Death speaks bluntly
and a buck knife might click into place
making the sound of a frankness.

one side of the scales reveals a treasure:
this is where the gutting comes in.

and then there’s the fisher who allures it

who flanks it with a willow, a branch
a bough bending in real time
in passive kill of cut throat

trout made all mouth and held a gap.

copper heat, bright blood, paper gill
amidst the ruddiness of oxygen

reflection and refraction
by water as medium
by skin as rainbows

angled the pearled light
red-flash-silver

first, innard
mock lung
then skin

red canters in silver dashes

inner body—flash—outer sleeve

inner body—flash—outer sleeve