Small bulging eyes that searched and stared

Orange skin, baby scales deprived of sun

Feathery fins, idly swaying with the water

In a little bowl, it sat. Alone. It lived.

She thought - it lived because it knew not of death

She tried to read the eyes

Gently, so as not to scare, her hand slipped into the bowl

Soft fingers circled the golden life

And removed it from the cage

An intense kinship with the tiny body in her hand overwhelmed her

The fish wiggled and squirmed in pleasure

It danced and jumped, thrilled to be touched, to be acknowledged

And suddenly, the little body stopped its dancing

She felt its heart pulsate against her fingers

Rapidly

her own heartbeat accelerated

Tears of joy trickled down her face

She was thrilled by the happiness she gave

And then the pumping stopped and the fish lay

still

staring, limp in her warm hand