I had to clean the fish tank out
Although it’s hot and steamy…
The fish were swimming to the glass
And couldn’t really see me.
There’s one in there, a monster fish…
There’s smaller sold for cooking…
And he is such a character
You know when he is looking.
“Ahem,” said Fish as I approached,
“You’re slacking on the cleaning.
A water change would be quite nice…
If you could take my meaning….”
I took the hint, took off the lid
And started on the bailing,
It’s not a big or complex job,
It ought to be plain sailing.
The little fish all disappeared,
The big fish wasn’t moving,
He just lay on the gravel bed
And watched me, disapproving.
He wants the water clean and bright,
The filter washed and clear,
But he’s not happy when
The fish tank cleaner comes too near…
A flick of that almighty tail
He launches from the water…
And lands with such a splash
He drenches me, the dog, the mortar…
There’s fishy rivers on the wall
And splashes on the ceiling,
The dog shoots underneath the desk
And glares at me with feeling.
And me? I’m soaked from heat to foot,
My clothes will all need wringing,
And meanwhile, as I stand and drip,
The ruddy phone starts pinging…
“We have a problem, mother,
Could you bob down to my house?
I put a pint glass over it…”
The cat has caught a mouse.
“It’s squeaking, and I’ve trapped its tail,”
His phone moved so I’d hear it.
“What should I do, ’cause if I move
The cat will get too near it?”
I bit back quite discretely
All the words I’d like to say,
She’d had a frog that morning,
She kills something every day…
I love my furred and scaly friends,
But some days I could wish
I’d not got an aquarium
And had no cats or fish.
Haha beautifully described…☺️☺️
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Thanks, Anisha 🙂
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Hahah, love it! Hubby does our tank (yay) but I’m on poop-in-the-yard duty. I don’t know who’s got it worse!
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I get that too 🙂
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Double whammy!
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Triple with the pond this morning 😉
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Love your fishy tales!
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I was soaked… then the fish in the pond jumped and got me again this morning 🙂
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Lol!!! Poor you! At least it’s warm today!
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And at least the ceiling stayed dry this time 🙂
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Small mercies Sue!
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But a mercy nonetheless 🙂
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Indeed!
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Reblogged this on All About Writing and more.
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Thank you, Henrietta 🙂
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You are welcome!
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Wonderful rhyming tale! What is it about ‘pets’ that create several crises at the same time? ANd I know where those small fish went…see that satisfied look on the monster?
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He only cleans up the dead ones… they hide in the plants when I’m cleaning 🙂
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Um… can I borrow the cat?!? :p
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You can have her for me! Nick may object though…. 😉
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Haha! Love it! Although, I’m sure it wasn’t nearly as funny to you at the time.
Hope the mouse was OK?
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The mouse was fine, Victoria… carefully caught and released back into the garden. 🙂
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Oh, good!
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🙂
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Still not sure why we insist on calling them ‘pets’…
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I’ve called the cat a few other things…
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I’ll bet you have…
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Oh, you certainly have your work cut out Sue, with one species or another! It’s a good job you are not a wimp like me, I could not have rescued the mouse!
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I didn’t… Nick had to, I was up to my elbows in fish. This morning’s carnage was bad though. Good job I’m not squeamish… raising boys has its uses 😉
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Yes I am sure it has stood you in good stead. 😁😁😁
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ROFL … he put a glass over the mouse! … love it. 😀
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Then his t-shirt over the glass so it couldn’t jump…. 🙂
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Very thorough! 😀
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This is great, Sue. I smiled all the way through. 😀 — Suzanne
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Haha! What a humorous take on a messy job. Everytime I got fish, or Hermit crabs, or lizards for my sons, I found I was the one who cleaned the tank, caught the insects, etc. I can’t believe I used to store crickets and mealy worms in my fridge. And I thought pets were supposed to teach responsibility!
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