Friday, November 24, 2006

Leaf-Fish (Saturday's poem early)


Are falling leaves an airborne species of fish?
An absurd question, I agree. But, one
hitherto never explored, and
henceforth not to be ignored.

Do they have gills? Certainly not!
Scales covering flakey flesh on bone?
Of course, we all know the answer to that.

But, they do swim in currents of air,
like fish in currents of water. They both
provide nutrients to higher forms of life.
Is the question becoming less weird?

Leaves don’t have fins and tails,
nor eyeballs on each side of their form,
but both have veins, and skin,
and a skeletal structure of sorts.

Color is paramount on both lists of best traits,
sizes and shapes equally diverse, and
each gather in numbers impossible to count.
I ask, is the answer more confusing than clear?

This question won’t be debated
by modern minds of good reason
(similar minds once thought the world was flat).
So, it falls to the poet to espouse some absurdity,
in the reality of everything we see.

17 comments:

polona said...

already saturday here so it should count :)
wow, what a comparison! love it!!
(in slovenian the sole is called 'sea leaf' so there must be something to it :))

jel said...

I all ways thought the Falling leaves were windsurfers riding some air waves, it is so cool to watch! :)

very good Pat!

thanks

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

poets and prophets - great work!

floots said...

beautiful pat
love the image
and the point you make at the end
good one

Anonymous said...

I like this, amusing and insightful.

ann said...

"so it falls to the poet to espouse some absurdity,in the reality of everything we see"

.... isn't that called poetic licence? LOL

this is very clever and thought provoking in its way... one I will certainly visit again

lotsa luv ann xxxxx

Anonymous said...

Nice exploration of leaves!

Masago said...

It may not be so absurd. If you think of them on the tree as in a "birth" stage, floating in the Autumn air as their "life" stage, and when they reach the ground their "end" stage...
But I'm not sure though if I'd go for one of them on a piece of sushi rice. :-)

Anonymous said...

Wow! Poets have a way!

Anonymous said...

Leaves and fish! Two of my favorite things!

Wonderful work!

Margie said...

You do write the best poems Pat!
Love this one!

Margie

Elena Horowitz-Brookes said...

Isn't it wonderful, that as writers we don't have to cross reference, qualify or scientifically prove the theories which our imaginations cook up. We don't even need a test tube to come up with our own species. I love the idea of leaves and fish having some relation to one another. Makes sense to me! I buy the idea. But then again, it's your idea and I'm sure your imagination isn't for sale.

Really enjoyed this Pat. A fun and almost plausible idea!

trinitystar said...

great comparison Pat!
flights of wonder perhaps

Pat Paulk said...

Polona, I knew it!!! Thank you!!

Windsurfers work. Thanks Janice!!

Thanks Andrew!!

Thanks Floots!!

Thanks Bluesky Liz!! Been a long time, thanks for coming by!!

Ann, either that or insanity. Thank you!!!

Thanks Joyce!!

Thank you Jon!!

Vaughn, no roughage in your sushi??

Kranti, like a cork screw on steroids!!

Margo, thank you!!

Margie, you give the best comments!!

Boulies, I'm not sure I have enough money to pay somebody to take my imagination. In legal parlance, as long as you can "muddy the water", anything is possible!! Thank you!!

Trinitystar, definitely flights of fantasy!!

Amalendu said...

sometime absurd thoughts make nice poetry, like this one...well-said Pat...

S.L. Corsua said...

A one-of-a-kind thought-bubble to burst into a most entertaining piece. ^_^ Grinned my way (especially with regard to the second stanza) to the end.

Thank you for your gracious comment on my site, Pat. (Found your link through the comments section in Russell's blog.) Dearly appreciated.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

This is quite a Poem! We must never lose our inner child. It's wonderful to question the reality we 'see'. So many perspectives out there. True science never stops asking with a child's mind and heart.