Is that what she actually said,
frog shrouded? Poetic for sure
but what is the necessary
specificity—medium-sized
leopard frogs, or large bullfrogs,
maybe tiny gray tree frogs,
a blocade crawling upwards with
hexagonal mucous-celled toes,
like small wind-up toys?

My hearing, well at three score and ten,
things do go awry. I’m sure of what
she said, but her mic echoed, and her
voice at eighty-two, is soft. Later, I laughed,
of course, she said “fog shrouded.”

Gary Grossman, Professor Emeritus of  Ecology, University of Georgia, has poems, short fiction and essays in 52 literary reviews. His poetry and CNF have been nominated for prizes but since he didn’t win—meh, right (g)? For 10 years Gary wrote “Ask Dr. Trout” for American Angler Magazine. Gary’s poetry books Lyrical Years (2023, Kelsay), What I Meant to Say Was… (2023, Impspired Press), and graphic memoir My Life in Fish—One Scientist’s Journey…(2023, Impspired) all available from Amazon or the author. Website: https://www.garygrossman.net/