goldfish

having a few extra
dollars in my pocket
i purchased a gold
fish the other day
and it's brought
me great pleasure.
it's the only pet
i can handle at
the moment. he
doesn't bark when
the doorbell rings,
or when the mailman
slides mail into
the slot. he doesn't
shed, or need his
nails clipped, or
yearly shots.
no teeth cleaning
is necessary because
he has no teeth.
i don't need to carry
plastic bags with me
to pick up after
him when i take him
for a walk, because
there is no walk,
he has no legs,
and can't be out of
that bowl of water for
very long anyway. it's
a fish thing.
i love my little new
friend, so gold and
bright and happy
in his clear small
world of wetness. i am
trying to think of
an appropriate name
for him. but wait, in
the time it's taken
to write this down,
i see that he has gone
belly up. he's afloat
at the top. oh my.
that was quick. what
happened? a broken
heart perhaps.
maybe i should get
two the next time.