Before dawn the pool dried into a million drops
and by Darwin I had found myself next to you
smooth and tense, thoughtless

We waited until the morning to be born
Our siblings buzzing around for a few hours
all dying wet, blunt, while we glided through the gauze

By midday we had caught the tide again
the river carrying us by our scales and tails
I remember how you bit the third gill on my right
anxious like the air

Mud around our ears, the afternoon saw us dry on the earth
our new hair an embarrassing economy
my feet hurt but I pretended I didn’t have any

In the evening you fought as I made you climb the tree
you tore at the branches, and threw a banana at my groin
we stroked and picked each other’s fur to make up

And that night, we lay inside one another
no fruit more a temptation
leaves not enough to keep our innocence

You spoke before you slept, I only understood the words
so I tapped your teeth and gazed into your mouth

I saw how the world had changed us
and how we had changed for each other.