The Fish

"But what about the fish?" my daughter asks.
We're reading, for a bedtime story, Noah,
Who's busy with at least a million tasks,
Preparing place for sheep, flamingo, boa,
But there's no mention of the fish. I say,
"That's true; of course, they wouldn't care about
A flood—in fact, they'd have more room that way."
But how did God decide to leave them out?
Were they unsullied more than beast or bird?
Forgotten? Was it too hard to make disaster
Really work for everyone? No word
On this. They got no promises or master,
Nothing they did not need, no watery bow.
Untouched by God, the fish stayed safe below.

Copyright © 2004 Midge C. Goldberg All rights reserved
from Dogwood
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission