Proud Koi
As I watch the fish swim
The crystal clear water flowing
The other fish play around him
The caverns and caves give them cover
The bright and vivid colors
As the light plays with their scales
The koi’s orange and white scales
Continually shine as they all swim
All the other colors
The all seem to be flowing
As I watch them beneath my cover
I only watch him
They all see him
Each and every one of their scales
Dart with one last sparkle under cover
They stop to see him swim
The fins of the great fish flowing
With his bleak and old colors
As I watch the aqua colors
Bounce around him
The jet stream around all others still flowing
Moving around the tiny scales
Of the fish who watch the koi swim
Doing their best to stay in cover
The koi never seeks cover
He barely notices the other colors
As the others swim
They swim below, around, above him
Hiding their scales
Staying in the motion of flowing
He doesn’t stay put, always flowing
I helped create cover
To help the others hid their scales
But instead of swimming they only sit watching his colors
Only thinking of him
The others do not dare swim
It’s almost like a drama flowing with each actor in dressed in different colors
Some if not most in cover all avoiding him
But still all the fishes scales will glimmer once they get
the courage to swim
I enjoyed that poem. I could definately imagine a fish tank with a bunch of different fish trying to hide except for the koi. You portrayed him as brave and energetic. nice job.
ReplyDeleteI love fish ponds with koi, the landscape of a pond and the big koi fish with other pretty fishes is what I see for some reason. This poem makes me happy!
ReplyDeleteYour poem demonstrates a cool effect of the sestina. On one hand, it could simply be an observation of the fish and their interactions (kind of like Jane Goodall observing the apes), BUT there's so much potential for metaphor and life lesson here. It causes me to ask, "Are you the fish hiding out of fear or lack of confidence? Or are you the wise or brave or bullying one out in the open?"
ReplyDeleteShe's the bullying one... Haha! :)
ReplyDelete