“Fish and Fowl” by N. Masha

Be like us

Fall into step

Hear the sound of drums

They patter on

 

Fall into steps

Dive, immerse yourself

And putter on

Drowned in formulas

 

Dive, immerse yourself

Swans are the ones

Who drown in formulas

Fish don’t feel the water

 

Swans are the ones

With oil-slicked wings

Fish don’t see the matter

What’s pollution going to do?

 

With oil-slicked wings

Constantly worrying

What pollution’s going to do

Genetic recoding perhaps

 

Constantly worrying

That their gills won’t grow fast enough

Genetic recoding has

To take its own sweet time

 

Their gills will grow fast enough

They’re impatient, won’t wait

Won’t take their own sweet time

To be like us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

N. Masha is a high school student who writes poetry when she’s sick and tired of Calculus homework. Translation: she writes a lot of poetry.