“On Reading Poems to a Senior Class at South High”

By D.C BerryDaljinder Bhangoo

                                                           “

Analysis of Poem “Before

I opened my mouthI noticed them sitting thereas orderly as frozen fishin a package.”

Analysis cont…

“slowly water began to fill the roomthough I did not notice ittill it reachedmy ears”

“and then I heard the soundsof fish in an aquariumand I knew that though I hadtried to drown themwith my wordsthat they had only opened uplike gills for themand let me in.”

Analysis Cont…

Together we swam around the room like thirty tails whacking words till the bell rang puncturing a hole in the door where we all leaked out

Analysis Cont…• They went to another class

I suppose and I home • where Queen Elizabeth

my cat met me and licked my fins till they were hands again.

Works Cited

• Berry, D.C. "On Reading Poems to a Senior Class at South High." Charivaria.com. October 10, 1998. Web. 1 Mar 2010.

• Grimes, Linda. "D. C. Berry's Fishy Metaphor." suite101.com. Apr 21, 2008. Web. 2 Mar 2010.