She knows it is time

She knows it is time...
nature has provided all of the right cues
light, water level, and temperature
her pineal glad receives the signals
and the process begins.

She knows it is time...
as a perennial spawner it is her duty to carry on the species.
She matters
Her eggs matter
They increase the population.

She knows it is time...
her myoglobin rich in iron delivers Oxygen to her organs and muscles.
Her body is ready for the journey
from lake to river
from hours to days.

She knows it is time...
her caudal fin waves back and forth,
kinetic energy accelerating her body as she attempts
to gain ground in the river.

She knows it is time...
her delicate eggs all with potential viability released in a sticky mass
waiting to be fertilized.

She knows it is time...
her body now exhausted heads back to the lake
and will patiently await next years cues.

As a yellow cut throat trout she has now fulfilled her ecological responsibility.