Why the Rainbow Trout Jumps

author’s note:

Some say we didn’t evolve in the past…

But I hope we can agree: we must evolve in the present.


WHY THE RAINBOW TROUT JUMPS

Sometimes when I see the sun spangling
on the surface of these waters
an impulse of the soul
propels me up
from the darkness of my home

so I can bathe
in a light much richer
than the poor beams that filter
down to me from above.

But oh--
I’m frustrated
by these moments too brief:

just a flash
followed by a sloppy splash.
Nonetheless
I believe such leaps help prepare me
for the big transition

when I finally dare to jump
onto the bank--
to take a major step
in my evolution.

Yes, I may die in the sand
but if so, it’ll be
a happy sacrifice:
I’ll choke if I stay down
in this life--
ratcheted as I am
by a higher drive for more light.

My heart says: “don’t wait--go!”
but I know I’m not yet strong enough
to breathe that oxygen
to climb that shore.

However
I’m slowly building power
as I perform
my little rainbow show.

© 2019, Michael R. Patton
Survival: poetry ebook