a certain fascination

i have to admit a deep dark secret.....

i have a certain fascination with contained small creatures

fish, small birds and rodents, even small bugs (ant farms, and worm abodes)
but especially goldfish

i don't know why

lately catherine has been posting some pictures of her garden pond with her goldfish

and naturally i am enthralled

i don't know what it is

the sparkling scales seen through that clear clear water?

.....the life? at once so at home and yet so alien?
living in an enviroment that would kill US in a fraction of a breath?

i remember as a kid going down to the creek out back ( at my aunt's house.....did anyone else do things like this?)
it was a very fast moving but shallow creek
the deepest was maybe 6 to 8 inches
but it was CLEAR

and watching minnows in the current,
hunting snails and newts and frogs

just for the pleasure of SEEING THEM

i remember watching algae clinging to the rocks
and my mom yelling for me not to get wet
yeah right

with all that life going on
how could i not plunge into it

picking up pebbles that shone like precious jewels under the water

or an empty pond snail shell

or even a bowl of pond water with a live snail in it
which naturally i was made to put back
reluctantly

i suppose i am not alone in my fascination right?
a lot of folks have ponds and keep fish in tanks

for me it's always been a mystical magical amazement to see
colorful creatures at home in the water

vi