The Salmon's Life (IP)

The Salmon’s life is river like;
a constant onward rush
like the rugged river rapids
against which this fish must push.

First amber egg, then alevin,
then fry, then parr, then smolt
then a Salmon transforms again,
to a living lightning bolt.

From the shallows of the river
to the deep Atlantic sea;
from fresh water to salt water;
child to maturity.

And when, at last, majestically,
it leaps up in the air
and hurdles that high waterfall,
dodging eagles and bears
and makes it back where it was born,
then and only then
does that poor Salmon get to spawn
and the whole journey start again.