Koi

February 23

I am thankful for koi. I really love these fish. Hybridized carp from Japan doesn't sound like much but I think they are absolutely beautiful and I love watching them. I have a koi pond at my house. Many of our koi have names: Sushi, Silverstein, Sunshine, Goldie Hawn, Alabaster.  Koi weren't something I especially wanted but they came with the house. But since then I've gotten into it. We now have nearly twenty gold fish and koi. I kept losing my koi to either snakes or birds or prey (snakes used to occasionally get into the pond and there was an egret who took a special interest in my pond) but since installing netting over the pond I've had no problems with either.

This photo was actually taken at the Baton Rouge Zoo where I could get a clearer photo without net interference.

sushi

i had a koi some called sushi

it was her claim to fame

but i should have known better than to keep a fish

with such a badluck name.

© rt tulley

alexander

my young son had a goldfish

that he named alexander

he was a wonderful golden fish

i will speak in all candor

one day we found the fish was dead

so in the toilet i flushed him down

“alexander’s gone to heaven” i said

as the goldfish did swirl round and round

my daughter overhearing then thought

that everyone’s good soul

would surely end up in heaven

at the other end of the toilet bowl.

© rt tulley