Preserve a body in brine
and dry it in the sun.
Lay it alongside others
in a shallow basket
on a hot roof, or strung
like laundry on a line.
Keep an eye on the cat.
I am talking about fish,
of course. Be patient:
this may take a few
days; this too
involves transformation
—from scale and fin
in flashing water,
to leathery skin
crisped on a heated
pan. Afterwards,
avid again for what
it spurned, the mouth
turns to any source
of water.
In response to Via Negativa: Medicine.