A Fish Thought

What do I know about life? I’ve never really known freedom, my living space is just about a few cubic centimeters wide…They buy me – sure, they really deal with me – they pour me from one bowl to another, and that’s it. Alright, sometimes and again somebody would look through the window, and put an eye on the glass. Then, the eye would appear so great and so big to me, that’s the sole entertainment and it scares me to death… Well, that’s how it is :such a tiresome life, I guess there’s nothing more tedious than the life of a fish. The room I do know by heart : I also wished I could set up some sort of time indicator, some sort of routine but they forget too often to feed me. After all, why should they feed me? If I were given some food regularly I would gain some weight – but they want to keep me slim –even though I’m all alone in here.

This fish-heart of mine must be so very wet now that nobody would even accept it, moreover it must already be damaged by the rotten water. In my little, very tiny universe there is no notion of time. Nonetheless there is a sun : a technological sun that’s entirely artificial, made up from Man’s tremendous knowledge and his perfect skillfulness : a neon lighting I would rather call a “ Neon Sun ”. In a certain way, it however conveys a notion of time since it is regular, just like the heating. Now this gives me a little bit of hope : at least there had once been someone to connect my micro universe to the heat- and lighting system. 

It might sound quite silly, but such little things make my life easier. You may feel lonely, yeah much too often you may feel it, this loneliness, and you lose control over this wonderful life. It’s so hard to live a life. It’s so hard to live in our time, and especially when you’re lonely, just like me, right here in my tank. During such situations, when you have to face your fate, it’s good to rely on such small things in life. The heating, the lighting, they’re all just symbols of the love that is beyond. Sometimes, you may feel neglected. So what ? Are you the only citizen on Earth ? Respect is one thing and common sense another. There are stronger ones and weaker ones in life. Had it always been this way or did it become like this ? Only philosophers would be able to answer this quest. A kind of fashion has settled in to help the Weak, which means that you guarantee some sort of self-pride while simulating generosity. Whatever this means... 

Am I really independent in this little glass box ? For sure I am far from politics, wars and great decisions. My living space is the result of the evolution of the human mind : a piece of the sea in a minimum space, artificially made up. I won’t even beg for domestic animals’ rights, nor would I say they make me suffer. No way. I would rather stare into my Neon Sun and get bored to death…

12/06/2000.