Alternative Plot

Several years ago I played around with a series of poems about the elements of fiction. Only a few of these  (notably, "If Plot Is What Happens," which appears in Body My House) had staying power. 

I'm not sure what was up with this one -- it's rather slight (a short, short story), but I played with it as a one-sentence exercise and sent it around. And now I'm posting it here. 

Alternative Plot

Or it's like fishing--

with each crisis the line

drawing tighter, and at the climax

the fish is caught

but the line breaks,

all the tension unraveling,

the fish lost and nothing

for the children's supper. 

Thanks for reading!

[Photo by cottonbro from Pexels]