11-02-2011, 08:14 AM
Breeding Goldfish.
Poets are hard to sex.
Some experts tell
by the lumps on their heads
but the novice must observe
carefully
until their abdomens swell
and they fripple their fins prettily
or chase another poet around
and bump against the knobbly bulge
until the eggs spurt out
precipitating
the immediate
and reflexive spray of milt.
Poets usually spawn in warm waters in the morning sun
Poetmeister! You must
remove the eggs at once
before the poets cannibalise
their fertilised creations.
Bucket them
in old water
with a rock and weed
maybe some water fleas
and wait.
Meanwhile feed the poets daily.
Drop bags of daphnia
into the bowl
a sparing pinch of flake
to sustain
colour and vitality
and keep them swimming
in convex fish-eye lens
circles
and for a special treat
as many ant-eggs
as it takes
to keep their mouths
going
po-em po-em po-em
bubble poem poem
blip
Poets are hard to sex.
Some experts tell
by the lumps on their heads
but the novice must observe
carefully
until their abdomens swell
and they fripple their fins prettily
or chase another poet around
and bump against the knobbly bulge
until the eggs spurt out
precipitating
the immediate
and reflexive spray of milt.
Poets usually spawn in warm waters in the morning sun
Poetmeister! You must
remove the eggs at once
before the poets cannibalise
their fertilised creations.
Bucket them
in old water
with a rock and weed
maybe some water fleas
and wait.
Meanwhile feed the poets daily.
Drop bags of daphnia
into the bowl
a sparing pinch of flake
to sustain
colour and vitality
and keep them swimming
in convex fish-eye lens
circles
and for a special treat
as many ant-eggs
as it takes
to keep their mouths
going
po-em po-em po-em
bubble poem poem
blip