Wish the Fish 11 (love) 4-16-15

ONCE upon a splashing time

a little fish wished he could rhyme.

But 'Wish the Fish' lived in the sea

and brought so much calamity.

---
The church seemed very quiet there
below each ocean wave -
and blessed, a special mother was,
because her son behaved.
He didn't whine, he didn't squirm,
he didn't make a sound -
and sat so still and reverently
when off'ring came around.

The doctor bills had taken all -
so money?  She had none.
The off'ring plate had passed her by
- but not her little son.
Inside his 'hand', his tiny fin
where heart and love enjoin,
a 'clink' had echoed through the church.
Dropped in, his little coin.

Her heart was heavy knowing that
she couldn't show more love -
by doing things for her small son
she thought the world of -
...like take him to some baseball games,
go camping after dark -
...like going on vacations,
or to amusement park.

Then after church, as sun came out,
as pastor shook each hand,
as mom and son had left the church -
the pastor didn't stand.
He knelt through socializing noise
with laughter in the air -
and shook the hand of her young boy,
there in his wheel chair.

That night when they knelt down to pray
for animal and bird -
and other fish throughout the sea,
his little voice, she heard.
Despite their plight, his pleading prayer
was for a hungry boy -
so fail, she did, containing tears
from overwhelming joy.

With tear-stained cheeks, so proud she was -
the way that he had prayed -
in humble, true sincerity -
with love for poor displayed.
His meager off'ring, God had blessed
as sleep had passed his way.
They say the ocean level rose -
a thousand tears that day.

Now folded up in closet dark,
a dusty wheelchair -
but wholesome legacy of love
is still expanding there -
where coins drop in the off'ring plates
below each ocean wave.
And blessed, a special mother is,
with treasured mem'ries saved.
---

The moral of this poem's great,

if this whole world would love, not hate,

love!

©2015 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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Wish the Fish (introduced in story 01)

Big Mouth Bass (introduced in story 03)

Trout (introduced in story 04)
Sunfish (introduced in story 05)
Spark the Shark (introduced in story 05)
Grandpa Koi (introduced in story 08)
Farmer Flounder (introduced in story 08)
Catfish Jim (introduced in story 10)

Wish the Fish 10 (compassion) 4-5-15

ONCE upon a splashing time

a little fish wished he could rhyme.

But 'Wish the Fish' lived in the sea

and brought so much calamity.

---
He seemed to be at his wits end
when Wish the Fish said to his friend,
"Please be at peace in reverent mood.
Do not do drugs or eat junk food.
Chew up your food and do not choke
and do not drink or snort or smoke."

But listen?  Wish's friend did not.
Bad habits grew in him a lot.
He didn't try to change his ways
and he seemed always in a daze.
His friend was Catfish, Catfish Jim -
and habits got the best of him.

"Just stay away!  Leave me alone.
Your voice has a disdainful tone.
Don't preach to me and do not call.
You always think you know it all.
Keep all your morals to yourself.
Leave me alone.  I love myself."

So Wish the Fish went on his way.
And time went on - day after day.
He prayed for Catfish Jim, of course,
to Father God, creation's source.
But facts of life are always true.
The same for me.  The same for you.

Are we diff'rent?  Are we special?
Do we expect a miracle?
Well, Jim called from the hospital.
He said, "I'm down... feeling awful."
Wish visited, but things looked grim.
There looking sad, was Catfish Jim.

"The doctor says that there's no hope.
I can't survive this downward slope.
I wish, good habits, I'd exchanged -
for good ones.  How I wish I'd changed.
You tried to help - so thank you Wish.
You tried to warn this stubborn fish."

Well, God will often answer prayer
and blesses us in loving care
that brings new hope and miracles
and stands us up on pinnacles.
New life for Catfish had begun.
He testifies to everyone!
---

The moral of this poem's great,

if this whole world would love, not hate,

compassion!

©2015 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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Wish the Fish (introduced in story 01)

Big Mouth Bass (introduced in story 03)

Trout (introduced in story 04)
Sunfish (introduced in story 05)
Spark the Shark (introduced in story 05)
Grandpa Koi (introduced in story 08)
Farmer Flounder (introduced in story 08)
Catfish Jim (introduced in story 10)

Wish the Fish 09 (integrity) 4-2-15

ONCE upon a splashing time

a little fish wished he could rhyme.

But 'Wish the Fish' lived in the sea

and brought so much calamity.

---
To show respect, they all stood up.
Wish wished this day would pass.
It couldn't be!  But yes, it was!
The judge was Big Mouth Bass!

The prosecutor raised his voice,
"His reputation's filthy!
He brags, he cheats, he steals, he lies.
He's guilty, guilty, guilty!

"I'll prove beyond a shadow's doubt -
That Wish is a disgrace!
His actions have dishonored us!
I know we'll win this case."

Well, Wish the Fish was quite perplexed
at all the accusations.
He didn't want to be in court
guarding reputation.

These 'trumped up' charges couldn't be.
His character was strong!
Profusely, Wish was sweating now -
with bubbles large and long.

But something odd occurred just then.
As far as eye could see,
a line so long it wrapped the town -
parading endlessly.

And one by one they took the stand -
(character witnesses).
They told the judge just who Wish was
in lauding sentences.

They said that Wish was honest and
he never misbehaved.
They said he had integrity
and to the poor, he gave.

He turned red with embarrassment
at their kind words he heard.
And never had a court seen this.
It really was absurd.

They gave such praise at who he was
it seemed so very weird.
For such a long time this went on
that Wish had grown a beard.

Judge Big Mouth Bass thought very hard.
He fought himself inside.
Would Wish the Fish be guilty now?
Which way would he decide?

Judge Bass made his decision then.
It went something like this:
"I don't like Wish - but know him well.
All charges I dismiss."
---

The moral of this poem's great,

if this whole world would love, not hate,

integrity!

©2015 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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Wish the Fish (introduced in story 01)

Big Mouth Bass (introduced in story 03)

Trout (introduced in story 04)
Sunfish (introduced in story 05)
Spark the Shark (introduced in story 05)
Grandpa Koi (introduced in story 08)
Farmer Flounder (introduced in story 08)

Wish the Fish 08 (charity) 3-24-15

ONCE upon a splashing time

a little fish wished he could rhyme.

But 'Wish the Fish' lived in the sea

and brought so much calamity.

---
Oh, Grandpa Koi liked serving folks.
He lent a helping hand
to clients, neighbors, churches -
but did they understand?

He helped because they needed him.
He helped all those he could.
He helped the poor and rich alike
because he knew he should.

For years and years he served them all -
four decades plus, in fact.
He had a real joy in it.
It was a Godly act.

Then one day something bad occurred
that took all that he had.
And that's when Koi could help no more -
so then they thought him bad.

So Grandpa Koi, now penniless,
was nowhere to be found -
but they demanded he come forth -
and stop fooling around.

They had new cars and houses too.
They had high paying jobs.
They had each gadget they could buy.
They acted just like snobs.

While they were living for themselves,
with gossiping abuzz,
the talk 'round town was Grandpa Koi
and it was all because...

...things got so bad that what they had
was rusting all away.
If Grandpa Koi was still around
they'd have some words to say!

But Koi could not afford to stay.
He moved from the grandeur
into a place with many needs -
the 'least of these', the poor.

Away from greed and selfishness,
away from beast and witch -
where friendships grew in peace and love,
that thrived despite the rich.

The Sunfish was a caring nurse.
The Trout and Koi were cooks
preparing food that Flounder grew -
while Wish wrote children's books.

Respect had crossed all racial lines
from one fish to another.
Then love and joy had filled their hearts
with smiles at each other.

The fish that Koi once lived with were
now frightened and subdued -
entangled in earth's mortal nets...
while fighting over food.

---

The moral of this poem's great,

if this whole world would love, not hate,

charity!

©2015 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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Wish the Fish (introduced in story 01)

Big Mouth Bass (introduced in story 03)

Trout (introduced in story 04)
Sunfish (introduced in story 05)
Spark the Shark (introduced in story 05)
Grandpa Koi (introduced in story 08)
Farmer Flounder (introduced in story 08)

Pelicans to Parasols 3-20-15

A young and pretty girl sat

with elegance and grace,

pretending to be drinking tea

in soft pink bows and lace.

Her left hand held a parasol.
Her right hand held her tea -
when gust of wind had come along
and parasol flew free.

It's light and fragile beauty soared

along with ocean breeze -

drew notice of two pelicans

above the rippled seas.

She jumped up from her plastic chair

quite shocked at what occurred.

As wind gusts blew, it skipped along.

She chased it undeterred.

The pelicans cared not a whit

to parasol she sought.

Important though, her mission was,

that parasol be caught.

Her footprints in the pure white sand

had evidenced her will,

to catch that treasured parasol

that she was chasing still.

---

I wonder - do we race through life
for something temporal -
on our lone life's long endless beach,
chasing something futile?

I wonder - have we failed to see

our true priority -

at banquet table with our God

and His thirst-quenching tea?

Temptation's winds deceive us to

our pretty parasols.

Are we so busy chasing them

we're deaf when Jesus calls?

Past pelicans to parasols,
we chase for things we strive.
But woe to those of us who are -
when death and Christ arrive.

©2015 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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