Dashavatara
Chine collee print
5 x 7
2014
Matsya
The Fish
I grow and grow
In your ochre water jar, then
burst from its earthen walls.
My scales flash silver
as you cradle me from vessel
to larger vessel
until you have to put me in the ocean-
a god-fish swimming
among water demons.
I ask you to build an ark,
fill it with all the fruits and vegetables,
all the animals of our land.
Rain falls in torrents,
the ocean overflows its banks,
and the earth sinks to the bottom.
Tie your boat to me
and I’ll tow you and the world’s treasures
until the roiling waters recede.