For the Keeping of Fish

For the Keeping of Fish

For the keeping of fish
A stewardship profound—
To provide a fish with life and breath,
This wonder I propound.

Tending to the cloudy tank,
To make their waters clean,
I work to keep stability,
To mend the murky scene.

I treat the needs of sickly fish,
Providing them their food;
In exchange, they flash for me
Their scales, brightly hued.

A garden full of vibrant life—
Of swords and wart and reed,
All the plants and bush and rock,
Covered in duckweed.

When time comes for fish to pass,
I must take it on—
A journey to its resting place,
The garden great-beyond.

But as I steward the fishes’ home,
How fragile they can be,
I recall the grace of God most high,
Who tends to little me.

- M. D. Eaton