Fascination
He buys a glass mask; now under the water he can see. He buys frogfeet to swim to what he sees, and a tube so he can breathe. After a while he buys a spear with three barbs, and though he draws the line at a gun with elastics, now he can impale what he sees. Everything stays away then, of course, but he is fascinated by his new powers, he carries his things everywhere in a canvas bag, and some nights he gets up secretly and in the dark he puts it all on and gazes at his watery reflection in the mirror of the sideboard. Everyone sleeps, and the soft flopping of his feet through the house barely disturbs the mice.
From Island, Ahsahta Press, 2004. Used with permission.