thinking of the cedar river

JUSTIN HYDE

grandpa and i
had our poles in a backwater,
waiting on a channel cat
or a blue.
 
grandpa’s friend clarence
was down a ways,
trying for smallmouth
in the main river.
 
clarence got one on,
i ran over to watch.
 
bat-full of hell,
he spat
unhooking a carp.
 
goddamned scavenger,
he said
throwing it to the ground,
putting the heel of his boot
to its head
 
same look on his face
my wife had tonight
right before
shoving me into the kitchen counter and
punching me hard
in the face for
 
reasons i’ve tried deconstructing,
but when you get to this point in a marriage
simple cause and effect
slips from the fingers
like this blood
down the drain.