The Half-Dead

The pond is half frozen.
The fish swim slowly to stay alive.
The line divides in the center.
Cold water reflects the shadows of the forest.
Smoky ice reflects the grey sky of winter.
Ice formed overnight.
From the edges, the solid crystal moved inward.
Fish gulped bread fast before the freeze.
A boy threw pebbles on the pond surface.
Hard stones made holes and found darkness.
The heavy rocks plunge down to the ground.
They shuffle the black bottom leaves below.
Hibernation creeps in on those below the ice.
They eat and move along the edge of entombment,
waiting for the sky to complete the circle.
The boy sends his final winter rocks into water.
He leaves more pebbles as outposts for the spring thaw.
Water will return with crusts of bread on its surface.
Birds will forage for hard winter's bread.
Boys will throw spring stones.
The pond sleeps and seals its bottom from human throws.
The fish circle and dream of pebbles and rocks.
They imagine large chunks of cold, wet bread above.
And take their places in the dark shadows of the half-dead.