I
To me
A remarkable part of nature
The tiny, little body
with the iridescent scales
holds two eyes
both round and expressionless

II
It strokes my hand and
is not the roughness of
sandpaper or pavement
the protecting plates
slippery as a slug
an unusual feel

III
In a school
it swims
to and fro
never leaving
the side of any other fish

IV
For a bird or a bear
or even a bigger fish
they are only for consumption
and it swims by
too innocently

V
It's the little girls prize
from the carnival
constrained
as she jabs and prods it
waiting to get home
and play with
her new pet

VI
It smells so foul
It reeks throughout the house
The children complain
and the fish is dumped
in the sea