Three Little Fish

Three Little Fish

Sign: Do not feed the fish!

Swimming in the tank,

three, large, hammerhead, sharks.

By the side, an information sign.

‘we used to have ten fish

food for them was part of the tour,

children were encouraged with handfuls of pellets

to feed as much as they desired.

All too soon one fishy died,

breathless it was caught in a net,

we sighed and said it was a huge

but not a momentous regret.

Days moved on two more passed away,

now our fish looked quite wary

whenever children drifted their way

they swam to the side and were chary.

More time elapsed our fishes grew bigger

a vandal chose to test the glass

he hit it with a diamond hammer.

Cascades of water, crystal fractured through

avalanched down the tunnel.

Found floundering amongst the wreckage

just three fishes left alive.

In a virtuous attempt to keep them going

we rebuilt their tank much larger

and for such a social fish

we provided some friends.

Look carefully, there right at the back

you will see them playing in the coral,

in front their friends are swimming

smiling straight at you

providing some encouragement

 so that you do not to attack.’

This tank contains three Hammerhead sharks

and

three orange white banded clownfish.

Our aim was to test a myth

that fish would never ever overeat

evolution simply, would never let

a fish develop that ate itself to death.

The test has never been concluded

the vandal saw to that.

The keepers now feed to instructions

and then keep well back.