the fish that swam hardest died first
but the bear who caught the biggest fish fed her young
for that bit longer
and they grew quicker than the other bears nearby
and had the strength and speed to hunt for themselves
to catch the fastest fish for themselves
until the day the first-fed firstborn bear
encountered something new:
a man with a gun
harder than the hardest fish
colder than the icy waters
the bullet tore its soul away
as mighty pride
was replaced by fear and confusion
and as the bear fell face down
in the swell of the river
it caught a glimpse
of the very first fish
to make it up the river