An Ode to the Humber River in the Fall

In my favourite place in the city I take a backseat

And laugh at the mindless perseverance of those schools of salmon

Those ridiculous creatures — do they know they have an audience

Of ogling humans who 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 and 𝘰𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦

Every time they catapult themselves into frigid waterfalls of ambition

Born to return home just to leave again

Only now, when the fallen leaves paint the earth amber and ash

If you will —

Only now, with fish who haven’t made it home

̷J̷u̷s̷t̷ ̷l̷i̷k̷e̷ ̷u̷s̷ ̷t̷h̷e̷y̷’̷r̷e̷

Us just like them