a magazine for anglers
by Quinn Grover
I have not seen the large rainbow trout
in the green, heart-shaped pool
where two channels come together,
but I know it is there.
I can feel the water it displaces
when it chases off a rival.
I can hear the soft humming of its fins,
the opening and closing
of its large white mouth.
I can sense the missile-shaped shadow
on the river’s heart.
I have not seen this fish.
But I know it is there.
Some nights
I wake cold in the darkness
my mouth dry
my mind blazing
with the fear
that I no longer know.
Quinn Grover is a freelance writer and part-time English instructor from Idaho Falls, Idaho. Like most fly fisherman in the world, he is currently writing a book of essays.
