ode to Dennis

I'm going to try and do this seriously - the fishy that belonged to the daughter of my friend passed away - if you wonder why there is an effort to be serious, read the post. I just want to say a few words in ode to Dennis - an eulogy as it were. He wasn't pleasant for everyone to know as his environment lacked cleanliness and he didn't take care of it himself, and he lived a somewhat solitary life. Still fishy - Dennis - was there day in and out and he may have brought some brightness to the days of those who cared to notice him on the kitchen counter. He may not have been ready for another move - but he's moved on anyway.

I'm reminded of a dialogue in the movie Conspiracy Theory after Jerry had been told and believed Alice (who came to rescue him) to be dead:
[talking through vent]
Alice: Jerry?
Jerry: Alice is that you?
Alice: Yes Jerry.
Jerry: Oh Alice, I'm so sorry that you're dead.

I am also reminded of the value of pets when I recall a special conversation about a frog in Lethal Weapon, which also stars Mel Gibson. And in closing I'd like to put this poem out there for Dennis -

Carassius auratus - Not Just Feeder Fish!

by Lisa Englander
First published in "Wet Thumb", newsletter of The Cleveland Aquarium Society
Aquarticles

Goldfish are just as beautiful,
As the cichlids that my friends rave.
So why do they make fun of me,
Just cuz they are my fave?
Some may just be comets,
While others are quite rare.
To scoff at the whole lot of them,
I don't think this is fair.
They say goldfish are just feeders-
Not like their beloved haps.
My fish are pets, have character,
Theirs just swim in laps.

Are they jealous that my breed
Have colors just as bright?
My ranchus don't need heaters,
To keep them warm at night!

So maybe there aren't orandas
That come in violet or blue.
In the coming generations,
Who knows if this stays true?
They are just as striking
In orange and white, I think.
They don't need to come in colors,
Like purple, green or pink.

Some they have great headgrowth,
While others, they do not.
Theirs might have a little stripe,
And some just have a dot.

Some have eyes with tassels,
And some gaze to the sky.
The cichlids lay eggs too,
Big deal - they tend their fry.
Mine have laid their little eggs
And theirs, as well, have spawn.
But when the great big heater fails-
All of theirs are gone.

We use the exact same filters,
Tanks, and what-have-you.
In their house they raise the bugs,
While I just don't have to.
Mine get along just fine
With pellets, peas and zucchini,
While they are hatching brine shrimp-
I'm in my bikini!
I feed them the pellets,
The bloodworms and the flakes.
My fish are just as cared for,
Of this, make no mistake.

I don't see cichlids in varieties,
Like the goldfish I have seen.
Like the shubunkin and the dragonback,
And some of theirs are mean.
White bodies and a bright red cap,
How incredible is that?
How could you not love a fish,
So egg-shaped and so fat!

I adore the goldfish
Of them I'm very fond,
And I don't see my friends,
Putting Oscars in a pond!

A very ancient art,
In China they are raised.
In the club where I belong,
I am always hazed.
I don't think this is right.
How can this all be true?
If only they would get a life
And also get a clue!

Being sacred in their land
The Chinese can attest,
With tails that fan and eyes that bulge,
The goldfish is the best.

So, I just want to say, bye Dennis, sorry you couldn't hang out anymore.