You’ve seen the fish, seen her home

the silver flashes ‘twixt the bones

the flickering motion of her tail

in the wild ocean from which she hails.

 

You’ve seen the bones, the carcass rotted

dark, alone but for the fish you spotted.

You know the cost of wandering deep

and falling, lost, in that soggy sleep.

 

Yet still you dive.

 

You imagine treasure in every reef

and with that pleasure comes belief.

A newer place, a better haul

drives your race to plumb it all.

 

You prowl the wrecks, you pick the bones

loot the decks of fishes’ homes.

With no pity for what you plunder

you trash fish cities and bash asunder…

 

…It’s how you feel alive.