She fell into my bathtub,
sometime this afternoon,
as water drained
too slowly for
tiny mouse survival.

By the time I found her
rigor had set in,
so I could see that she had died,
still swimming
in mid mouse paddle-stroke:

Rear legs spread wide,
her tail a stiff grey toothpick
reaching back
for balance in bath water.

Tiny paws were gathered to her chest
in anticipation of the next desperate
swimming motion.
Here, there was no peaceful
sinking to the depths:

This mouse died
conscious.