I’m too tired to write, ’cause I had a lie-in,
You might think that the two wouldn’t mix,
But after a weekend from Hell with the pond
I was ready for crossing the Styx.
There was panic on Saturday morning to start,
With my son calling up on the phone,
“You had better get down here, it’s emptied itself
And I can’t sort it out on my own.”
Now, on Friday I’d cleaned out the pond pump again
And the waterfall, just for good measure.
It’s not all that long since the filter was done,
We could do it again at our leisure.
But no, the pond emptied, the level went down
With the fish having no place to swim
Some two thousand gallons of water had gone,
Disappeared in thin air, on a whim.
The irises, big clumps as wide as a tree
Had all toppled and floated adrift…
A nice gentle weekend? I’d no chance at all
So I did feel a tiny bit miffed.
It didn’t take long to establish the cause
For a quick bit of investigation
Revealed that the filter was solidly blocked,
It was all overflowing…damnation.
“We must take it apart, then give it a good clean,
Reassemble and hope it is working.”
We both donned rubber gloves, like a surgical team,
And got stuck into work without shirking.
We baled out the sump and then rescued the bits
That were floating where they shouldn’t oughta,
But then it got messy, we dived in the sludge
And were up to our elbows in water.
I had screamed when the first leech had nibbled my glove,
By the tenth I was weeping and shaking,
My son looked in horror, could not understand
All the fuss that his mother was making.
Until he saw leeches, four inches and more…
And the one that had blatantly fed…
So I whimpered my way through th epond=cleaning lark
Pretty certain I’d rather be dead.
We hauled up the irises, onto the deck,
They had leeches all over them too…
By this time my throat from the screaming is sore,
But we did what we needed to do.
It had taken all day, and the next day as well
To restore the pond back to its best.
“You can sleep late tomorrow,” my son kindly said,
“‘Cause I think you could do with a rest!”
So I’d turned the alarms off and settled to sleep
And I still woke at six, stiff and sore,
But I snuggled back in, while I doggedly tried
To relax so I’d sleep a bit more.
I gave up in the end. We stood over the pond
Where the pair of us had duly slaved.
Said my son, as we watched the fish happily play,
“Yeah, but look at the lives that we saved.”
And that was a good point, for they come to our call,
“You’re responsible for what you tame.”
You cannot leave a friend in distress, skin or scale…
And we know every creature by name.
But I’m thankful it’s Monday, I might get a rest,
No more bent over double in sludge,
And the next time he says, “You can have a lie-in,”
You can be ruddy sure I won’t budge!
Pingback: Thank God it’s Monday! – The Militant Negro™
Thanks for sharing 😀
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it’s very unique experience for a poem. but you did well 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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my pleasure Sue 🙂
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Well done for saving the day! Hope you did rest up Sue!
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Still woke early 😦
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I totally understand your plight. Lie ins are rarely more sleep as the body clock wakes me up but I try to ‘rest’ instead… Reading in bed before getting up!
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Ah… the small dog insists I get up when I wake 😉
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Small kids and animals eh!
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Yep … all the same 😉
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Thanks for sharing, Jaye x
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I too, tried to lie in this morning, for my poor back if nothing else. But it didn’t happen. The cat knew I was awake and I desperately wanted a cup of tea, so that was that.
(I might be changing my mind about having a pond, sounds like an awful lot of work to me!)
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They are easy enough to look after asa rule…but Nick’s is a huge, very deep pond with a massive filtration system. The smaller variety are not hard work and really do give so much pleasure.
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Reading about your encounters, I think I’ll settle for a virtual pond on my PC screen!
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With your back so bad, I can’t say I blame you x
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I’m glad you were able to fix the problem and save all your scaled friends… Even if it was an exhausting and messy job.
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It was worth it, Tori, just to see them playing in the sun again 🙂
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I’m sure it was! 🙂
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Things we do for love, you are a great mum 💜💜
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Just the house-hobbit 😉 ❤
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Yes that’s most of us 😉
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Especially mothers 😉 x
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Rescuing fish is something that many wouldn’t understand—I would 🙂
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You jsut have to…. 🙂
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🙂
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Oh wow…that’s herculean! And terrifying. I don’t think I’ve got leeches in my pond, but then again, not seeing and not having are two very different things.
I’m glad you managed to save your fish, and I hope all stays well for a good long time!
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I had this happen once before… and had to call in the other son as cavalry as Nick was away! But all is well now… and I’ll be a little more careful of the leeches in future 😉
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-shudder- yeah, that must have been so nasty. 😦
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Not pleasant 😉
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I am so glad the fish were rescued but I do not fancy dipping my gloved hands near those leeches! Well done. 😊
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We didn’t fancy it either, Brigid…and I havea genuine phobia of anything that looks like a wet worm, so not only the fish were traumatised 😉
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We are all the good Lord’s creatures when we help each other he sends blessings and strength. You might be tired but I’m sure the fish are happy too. Happy Monday. Hugs.
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They are so much happier today and even a sick fish is looking as if he might pull through now 🙂
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As a Pisces, I’m most grateful to you. Hope you have a calm and peaceful week.
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Thanks, Fransi… as long as the filter behaves now 😉
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You put the scary/terrible/hopeful experience to poetry quite well, Sue. Rest today. You know the fish thank you and are you BFFs. 🙂
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It was just nice to see them back to normal today after the scare 🙂
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Indeed!
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I feel your pain and leeches..NO!
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They have eery right to live there…and probably do a good job of pest control and sludge-busting. But I don’t want to see them, thank you 😉
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Reblogged this on Viv Drewa – The Owl Lady.
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Thanks for sharing, Viv 🙂
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You’re very welcome, Sue!
Hugz on owl wings for you and Ani! @v@ ❤
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Hugs back from Ani and me 🙂 xxx
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Not how you want to spend a weekend! Glad you got it sorted and am keeping my fingers crossed you don’t have to do it again – at least not for a while.
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I certainly hope not, Mary. It isn’t long since it was done, but evidently we had missed something…
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I love your story poems! (What is the correct term?) ❤️
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Thank you, Noni . Where most of them are concerned, probably ‘doggerel ‘ 😉
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The leeches would really get to me, Sue. Ugh. Shudder. Ick. But your fish all look happy and appreciative. Great photos. Now go and relax!
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I’ve ad an easier day today, thank goodness, but the fish are happier now 🙂
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YOU DESERVE A REST! I have been pulling up weeds by their scrubby roots all morning and am lying on the bed resting with pillows and an ice pack behind me! I feeeeel your pain!
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I may get one eventually, Rae 😉
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Oh, my goodness. What a story!
Indeed you deserve a rest.
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I certainly needed one, Marian 🙂
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Leeches! Why did it have to be leeches?
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I know… 😦
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Pingback: Wilfully blind… – The Silent Eye
I remember years ago I was in some little store buying another couple of goldfish. Well, the fellow did not double bag them and so once outside of course, right there in the parking lot, the bag breaks and the fish came tumbling out. I scooped up what little water I could and carefully lifted the fish, feeling horrible for them how much they must have suffered hitting the pavement. The store people were there up front when I came back in and I fairly screamed – water, get me water quick!!! And they obliged and came with another bag of water, which I put the fish into. They offered to replace the fish for me and I said no, for I knew what replace would mean. There was no way they were going to put those fish back into one of their tanks. Well, I insisted on double bagging, and then to be sure, asked for a third one to take with me. I was not taking any chances. I don’t care if they did cost just 29 cents each! They were treasures to me. Surprisingly, the fish, once home at my house, got put into my aquarium with the others. and I put a little marine salt in for good measure. Those goldfish grew up to be beautiful and large, and seems like I remember they lived long lives. I am so glad it was me and not someone else this happened to because another person might have just agreed that it was ok to dump them. I don’t think so . . . not on my watch!
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But you rescue plants too… and so it does not surprise me at all that you cared for the goldfish 😉
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I would rescue any living thing in this world that was in need of it. One day I rescued I think four wolfie spiders that were endangered and set them free in a good wolfie rescue place in my back yard. Now a lot of people are afraid of wolfies because of their appearance and size, but they are very good garden companions, and want nothing more than a garden that has yummie bugs for their dinner. As far as I know, the wolfies are still there. I believe they are actually called wolf spiders, but at any rate, they will not hurt a single thing. And life is sacred. All of it. Thank you kindly, Sue.
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I agree, Anne, there is no difference in the essential life of spider, plant or human being. We ften behave as if there is… but it is only humankind who have decided that we are of more value than any other species.
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Fantastic writing putting this story in poem Sue! Wow, that pond is keeping you two busy. The fish owe you their lives for sure. Now I hope you did manage to rest well after that fiasco. 🙂 ❤
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It can go years with just standard maintenance, then it throws a wobbly… xxx
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And always at the most inopportune times. 🙂 xx
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Any time is inopportune where leehes are concerned 😉 xx
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No kidding! 🙂 xx
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You have a way of turning horror to humor, Sue. How do you do it? Good gawd, you couldn’t make this stuff up! Your life is more wild than fiction. 😉
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I think it comes with ahving raised sons, Eliza 😉
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Yikes!
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Pretty much 😀
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The job you had to do sounds awful, especially the leeches. But I’m glad you saw it through, saving your fish and I hope the irises. Put your feet up and rest. You earned it!
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It was not the best of jobs, but I am glad we got it sorted.
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