Neon Tetras, Tiger Barbs,
and Rainbow Sharks
swim round and round
through seaweed and ferns,
over moss and ornaments
nestled in the coral
and lava rock of the aquarium
Nancy Reagan has placed
in her husband’s study.
Deep in dementia,
the President watches
from an armchair and fixates
on a miniature resin replica
of the White House.
He rolls up a sleeve
and lifts it out of the tank,
rubbing with his fingers
until the windows,
doors, and columns are dry.
When his wife checks on him
he hides the thing in his hands,
embarrassed by his obsession.
She wants to see
what he’s gripping so tightly,
has to pull it away from him.
“Do you know what this is?”
she asks. “No,” he answers,
in tears of frustration, “but it has
something to do with me.”
Gulf Stream Magazine 