Salmons of wisdom
Why is it wisdom arrives
with eyes awash,
lump in the throat,
and a smile?
Simple, really.
We poets are the Salmon
who swim the upwelling spring,
the pool beneath nine hazel trees
dropping their nuts to form
circles in circles in circles.
At each circumference’s center
we swallow, then take ages
to digest such compact meats,
traversing countless intersections
of curved wavelets reflecting
shining crescents, blazing wheels,
shooting and circling stars,
each in its orbit vibrating sympathetically
with subatomic particles, forming
dense fruit from which trees grow
and poet fish derive their sustenance.
If you can swallow this,
it’s simple, really, to know
why wisdom arrives
with water in the eyes,
a hard lump in the throat,
and corners of the lips
pulled up into a crescent.
~ Wry Welwood,
late twentieth century,
previously unpublished,
re-edited May 2021.
The Nine Hazel Trees of Knowledge, Salmon of Wisdom, and Pool that feeds the rivers of Ireland, are potent forces within the mythology of that country.
Thanks to Denise Larkin of The Lark.
Write for The Lark
Submission guidelines for a short story and poetry publicationmedium.com