Leisha Douglas

Today I want to walk the woods
bare breasted                air drenched
like one Vermont summer forty years ago
after hand fishing with my best friend’s brother
belly on river rock                    hands in frigid water
until trout sidled close lured by warmth
I feared the grab
the clear slippery mucus           the fish’s writhing
I refused its death
the gutting                   the skewering
I played at being
callous             able to kill       
animal              in my own skin

 Leisha Douglas recently retired from a career as a psychotherapist and mental health counselor to pursue creative writing. Her stories and poems have been published in literary journals including The Cortland Review, Helix, The Minetta Review, The Midwest Quarterly, Upstreet, The RavensPerch and The Big Other. Her poetry has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and featured in anthologies. She is the Poet Advisor to the Katonah Poetry Series.