Once the speckled salmon feasts on
hazelnuts dropped in the well,
nine bright orange blooms emerge
across its glittering mica flanks.
The Fenians say the soul who
savors this flesh comes to know
all the world’s wisdom.
And, inspiration infuses
those who offer their sleep
to feed their dreams.
As the hazels’ rounded
leaves spill into the well,
we learn too late that a licked
finger—burnt by a drop of salmon fat—
has accrued all wisdom to the cook.