"Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn." ~Thomas Gray
"Poetry unites." ~Anon
"Truth is such a rare thing, it is delightful to tell it." ~Emily Dickinson
Written by Charli Henley
She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Her blog: Broken Mannequin
(Fish) For Liquid
I keep
my apartment too cold
to keep the
ectothermic
(fish)
alive.
I put him
in front of the heater
to delay
a neglectful death.
I have always
been tender
with the aquatic
vertebrate
animals.
I had a tank
as a girl
in which lived
a huge black thing.
He would jump out,
flop breathlessly
on the floor,
strands of my hair
sticking
to his flesh.
As if
he had the will to die
until actually confronted
with death.
Like how the jumpers who survive
say they felt
on the way down.
I would find him
dying
and dying
on the carpet
then slip his strange body
back
into its cage.
Originally published on writer's personal blog.
Posted with consent of the writer.
Featuring: Charli Henley, Poetry
6 Comments:
Note: All written material is copyrighted by the individual writer and/or blog author, and may not be used without written consent. Copyright © Breathing Poetry 2009. All Rights Reserved.
I thank you for visiting, Breathing Poetry.
~"May love and laughter light your days!"
Breathing Poetry: A Collection of Words and Emotions
You are very, very good.
There is never a happy ending when I think about this subject, but I do try to consider how good life "can" be, and though there will be an end, I prefer a natural one.
Thank you for this poem!
"As if
he had the will to die
until actually confronted
with death."
- haven't we all been there.
And..."I would find him
dying
and dying
on the carpet
then slip his strange body
back
into its cage."
I will probably remember this poem for ages....