Yoko Danno – I
Catfish in the Woods
My dog suddenly runs off
slipping the leash
startled by a wild beast.
Without blowing
a conch, the giant
fish-god tosses and turns
in the deep ocean bed
heaving his bloated belly
in his millenary sleep –
the mischievous catfish*
plays dirty tricks
belching out muddy billows
over homes, rice paddies
boats, cars, nuclear plants
guzzling them all alive.
Under a tree radioactive
rays filtering through
branches fall on my face.
* In Japanese folklore a giant catfish living underground causes earthquakes.