There’s not enough time —
we have to start now —
everyone, quick — 

each of us
has got to find common ground
at once with a fish — AT ONCE! and

it won’t be enough to say
“I have affinity with all living things” —
I’d call bullshit on that if it didn’t insult the bull —

one fish, two fish, redfish, bluefish: pick
a single fin-buddy and get cracking — learning
language, meeting the family —

it’s not been enough — the abstraction, the symbolism —
it’s not been enough — the fact of extinction and the stink
of oil balls in the sand — maybe

if we actually thought of
a few of these guys as neighbors
and friends it might be different —

not just for breakfast anymore — now
a tornado goes through their school
everyday — we eat the holocaust — soon

perhaps we’ll be the survivors
or the remnants and we’ll need
our friends — all the potential friends

we’ve been killing — dunno; maybe
it’s grasping at straws full of death
but we have to start somewhere and soon —