I stand
Looking
Staring
Not idly gazing
At the barbs beneath the surface
Set there by man?
By fishes?
Or are they kelpie or mermaid wishes?
To snag an eye
To mesmerise
An unwary passerby
To hook
To catch
To reel them in
To fall face flat into that water
To die
I pass on by
That’s not for me this day
crispina kemp 
Yes, I’d totally pass on by too. Best not to leave certain things to chance!
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Brilliant piece I love it – the structure mimics its subject matter, short, punchy lines in the middle – To hook / To catch / To reel them in—create a quickening pace, like a line being pulled. You build momentum that makes the final “I pass on by” feel like genuine relief🙌
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You have got me wondering now- is there barbed wire in the water? maybe a fallen fence?
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