Eliana Franklin (Asheville, North Carolina, USA)
I search for paddlefish
in the French Broad River,
their long flat noses, pointy gray fins—
our ancient ancestors.
They’re gone—
even as I dive in, feel the rush
of cool water ripple around me,
sand settling on my skin.
But where are the prehistoric giants,
the sleek scales and shiny eyes?
I only find ghosts, floating
behind the dam.
The pool grows still—stagnant,
the closer I get to the concrete barrier,
a break in the soft current.
The paddlefish disappeared
when the dams went up,
stopped their every movement.
I, too, can’t swim beyond
this barricade. On the other side,
fantail darters and longnose dace
gather in crowds
and push against the levee—
maybe someday, they’ll tear it down,
breach the walls,
bring together all the fish
beyond those artificial waterfalls.
Eliana Franklin is a sixth grade teacher in Asheville, North Carolina, USA, with a degree in creative writing and environmental studies. She has work published or forthcoming in Pensive Journal, Lucky Jefferson, and Deep Wild: Writing from the Backcountry. She can often be found outside, writing poetry about her experiences in the mountains she calls home.