Art Of The Heart

A WISH FROM THE FISH
 
FREEING MYSELF FROM SILT AND SAND
I FEEL A SUBSTANCE I UNDERSTAND
WATER AS WET AS IT EVER WILL BE
WASHES ON, OVER AND EVEN THROUGH ME
 
I'M GLORIOUSLY TINY THIS PRECIOUS DAY
YET WAIT ONE YEAR AND SEE WHAT I WEIGH
HEADING DOWN STREAM AS AN INFANT ONE
GETTING MY BEARINGS, MY JOURNEY BEGUN
 
I CAN'T SAY THAT I'M AS HAPPY AS A CLAM
BECAUSE I'M A SALMON, MAN, THAT'S WHAT I AM
NOT QUITE CONTENT TO STAY IN THIS STREAM
I'M GUIDED TO THE OCEAN BY MORE THAN A DREAM
 
THE PACIFIC AWAITS MY HERALDED ARRIVAL
BUT DANGERS THERE THREATEN SURVIVAL
YES THERE ARE OTHER FINNED ONES LOOKING FOR FOOD
AND CERTAINLY WINGED ONES TO SPOIL MY MOOD
 
THE HUMAN FISHERS DON'T SEEK MY FLESH YET
BUT BY YEAR'S END I BEST WATCH FOR THEIR NET
NO THE PREDATOR TO FEAR IS SMALLER THAN I
AND TOO OFTEN SEEKS ME AS I SWIM BY
 
JUST AS I FIND MY SALTWATER DIGS
I'M OFTEN TOO CLOSE TO FISH FARM RIGS
FULL OF CAPTIVE COUSINS FROM A DISTANT PLACE
COVERED IN SEA LICE MESSING WITH GRACE
 
SO IF ANY TWO LEGGEDS COULD ASSIST
BEFORE OUR GOVERNMENT BECOMES FASCIST
WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH
SO MANY IN POWER ARE SO OUT OF TOUCH
 
THANKS TOO FOR SPEAKING OUT AGAINST BIG OIL
NOT MUCH WORSE THAN A SPILL TO SPOIL
THAT WHICH KEEPS MORE THAN US ALIVE
WHY CAN’T WE ALL LEARN HOW TO THRIVE
 
RATHER THAN “MAY THE BEST MAN WIN”
LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR FROM FEATHER TO FIN
YES A SMILE IN THE HEARTS OF ALL THAT MOVE
NOW THERE IS A MESSAGE WE FISH APPROVE
 
Dancing Wolf, November 2012