the knowledge of walls

alyssa hanna

did you know that even when bred in a sea pen
merely watched by men
every yellow tang dies? they put a room
inside the ocean and the babies came out
clear, as if having the knowledge of walls
was enough to pull out the pigments that characterizes
the will to live. they think that’s why van gogh drank paint.
just observing these fish fuck
led to all of the offspring
never reaching adulthood. and these fish fuck
by the thousands, eyes watching each other
as a great slimy sunshine orgy weaves its way
through the ocean.
but i watched and they shriveled. a net.
a room. the only additives.
the waves kept their pace and the sun remained hung
over the water on a wire,
rusting.

---

alyssa hanna graduated from Purchase College with a degree in Creative Writing. She is a contributing editor at Barren Magazine and lives in Westchester with her four strange lizards. Follow her on instagram, tumblr, and twitter @alyssawaking.