Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge: Native American Zodiac

 Colleen of Tanka Tuesday has offered the follow syllabic poetry prompt.  This will be the last Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge as Colleen has retired the challenge. 

"This week, we’re using the Native American Zodiac for inspiration. Find your sign and write a syllabic poem about your zodiac animal."

Image from Threads 

Based on my birthdate, my Native American Zodiac Sign is The Salmon.*

So, for this last Tanka Tuesday, on the last day of 2024, I offer a haiku.  Fortunately, "salmon spawning time" is indeed a kigo phrase.

Kokanee salmon in Kokanee Creek, B.C. Canada

 where the salmon spawn

water runs shallow and clear

bear, osprey, gather

©2024 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved 

Lockhart Creek Camp - bears and osprey need not heed the warning!

*Photos are from a childhood vacation in Canada.  Other than salmon as food (and my dog refuses any protein but salmon!) these spawning Kokanee are my only experience with the fish.  I was not thrilled to find salmon as my Native American Zodiac sign!  Kokanee are a form of Sockeye salmon. While sockeyes migrate to the sea, returning to their spawning grounds, Kokanee remain in fresh water.  It's thought that about 15,000 years ago an ice melt created lakes and rivers in the northern part of North America.  Some salmon continued to go to sea, others, perhaps trapped, stayed behind.  At spawning time they turn bright red, the males develop a humped back and a hooked jaw.  These jaws impress the females (as does their bright red color) and are used to fight other males,  The females find a suitable spot where gravel will remain aerated and beats her tail to form a depression for her eggs.  After the male fertilizes them, she covers them over again with more tail beats.  That's it.  Then they die within a few days, or at the most, weeks.  If they aren't eaten by bears, diving ducks, osprey, even other fish.  So, pretty red salmon and rotting white salmon.  That's my memory, and not a pretty picture to claim as my zodiac sign!

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