The Fish Poem by Richard Lam

I am a fish put in a bowl.
They let me eat, they let me sleep,
They watch me grow.
But I am a fish trapped in a bowl.
My day is long, and time goes extremely slow.
I am the fish that doesn’t know
What other worlds are beyond this tiny bowl.
I want to see the sun, the rain, the snow.
I want to jump over high and over low.
Where the current pushes me forward,
Where the gentle wind urges me toward,
I follow.
If only I were not in this bowl,
Enclosed with these many rows
Of fake treasures, silly plants,
And children’s ships,
I would really grow
And put on an amazing show.