07.01.11

Dearëst Zoë,



A little poem I wrote for you:

“Ah,” said the fish “if only I could fly,

“I’d spend my days soaring through the sky. 

“Ah,” said the bird “if only I could swim,

I’d spend my days wriggling my fins. 

The sky and the ocean heard each wish;

One from the bird and one from the fish.

Said the sky to the ocean “do you think we should?”

The ocean replied “It would do them some good”. 

The ocean rose up and the sky sunk down

And they turned the world all around

So that birds swam in the ocean above

And fish flew beneath like turtle doves. 

When the sun grew hot and the fish grew dry

They lost some pleasure in soaring the sky

And when the birds’ new fins began to hurt

there were no branches on which to perch. 

“Ah,” said the fish, “I wish I could swim,

Darting through the water so cool and dim.

“Ah,” said the bird, “I wish I could fly,

 in my own feathers, all warm and dry. 

The ocean and sky smiled gently when they heard

that the world was wiser by one fish and one bird,

and so the sky returned from where it came

and the ocean in turn did the same.

But one little fish kept his wings

And as he soared, he began to sing

“Others can return if they wish,

But I will remain a bird like fish”

And that my child is the totally true story of why there is only one species of fish in the entire world that is known as the flying fish.  If you don't believe me, ask the ocean and she'll tell you herself.