ruddy duck swimming
turtle resting on a log
polly wogs wiggle
Koi glide beneath green shadows,
their fins like drifting flame;
the pond breathes slow repose.
Soft ripples blur where each one goes,
no two paths ever the same;
water lifts where each koi rose.
koi drift slow
gold circles ripple
fiery scales
lilies float
jade water, silent dreams glide
shimmering sunrise
green shell glints
sun-dappled surface
turtle slow
sun light drifts
ripples cradle ancient pause
within the koi’s world
furry paws
long whiskers twitching
tail swaying
gentle eyes
by the pond, koi flicker bright
our kitty dreams here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sparkling sunlight filters through
the willow tree’s slender branches,
speckling the water’s surface~
a montage of green coins.
Koi swim gracefully just below the surface,
choreographed by gentle noontime breezes~
their forms seem like an artist’s colorful brushstrokes,
orange bleeding into white,
black dissolving into gold.
A koi near the surface,
its gills flaring slow,
mouth open in a silent O
as if it’s savoring the sky.
The water remembers every movement,
every turn, every glide, every moment
leaving a lasting trace~
yet gives nothing back
but the quiet hum of holding.
Above, a dragonfly lights,
its wings thinner than regret,
casting no shadow,
only the briefest interruption of light.
And for a moment,
the pond is not just water,
not just fish,
but the world’s slow exhale~
something between prayer
and perfectly still hunger.
You may read the accompanying memoir vignette here at Poetry Soup:
poetrysoup.com/short_stories/magic_at_the_koi_pond_13577
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
gold scales ripple through
the jade mirror of stillness—
one breath, then plunges
into sunken palaces
where water forgets the sky
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Green coin floats, silent~
dragonfly lands, kisses ripples.
Beneath, shadow drifts:
a koi’s gold swallowed by dusk.
The pad holds the weight of sky.
Koi fish swimming sparkle as light reflects their colorful scales.
Their movements swishing mostly slowly
Looking for something unseen down under.
The film of water bends the light
Lying to our eyes about the reality below
Those beautiful creatures.
Only they know.
the koi were lazy swimmers
they liked it that way
nothing stirred them up
on this lovely fall day
the air was breezy
the water was fine
no one was missing
they swam in a line
as easy as sleeping
as joyful as koi can be
they glided through the water
these koi owned by thee
I thought I had seen koi fish before, but nothing like this
Owned by an eccentric widow whose koi fulfilled her wish
their brilliant oranges were a lovely contrast to green lily pads
I could not tell if I was looking at baby fish, mamas or dads
The koi were all beautiful, they made a fine contrast to the water
You are a lucky woman, I said to our town’s favorite daughter
She is generous with her money, her resources and her time.
We know she can be counted on for much more than a dime.
They are my babies, she said, delighted at my appreciation.
They were gorgeous, their colors as brilliant as any in our nation.
The koi knew I was watching and did tricks to show off a bit.
I will never forget my visit to the koi pond of Mrs. DeWitt
Quote:"Lurking in stone’s shadow, quietly flows a fleeting saga of heroism.
And I, too, swim like that koi—through stillness, I traverse time in contemplation. " --- Zen thought
In the jade-mirrored stillness, scales ripple like silent sutras,
Broidered ghosts of light drifting beneath stone and shadow.
Each breath of water carries a hush—a teaching unspoken,
Inviting the mind to rest in the ebb of being and non-being.
A single red mark, bright as a lantern in deep quiet,
Breaks the surface of calm—a spark of courage in stillness.
Here, the koi becomes memoir of perseverance—the ancient river’s echo of transformation,
Softly urging, "Continue beyond the current, and become."
Beneath moss-fingered rocks, time flows in slow meditation,
Every ripple a lesson, every current a silent koan.
The fish, with graceful intent, glides through root and reflection,
An embodiment of Zen’s paradox: movement within stillness.
And so I am koi in the mirrored pond—seeking and serene—
My heart a tracing of curves on water’s face,
Finding in each quiet stroke the eternal in the ephemeral,
Swimming not to arrive, but simply to become luminous.
Shayari bunne waali zubaan,
Ab formulas ratte hain.
Kaagazon mein apna dil behlaane waale haath,
Ab projects likhte hain.
Jo dill azzad udd, kitaabe likhte the,
Aaj wahi kitaabon ke bojh tale dabe hain.
Jo aankhein sapne dekhna ko bane the,
Ab raat raat undekhe sapnon ke liye jaagte hain.
Jo pair duniyaa dekhne ko taraste the,
Ab classes se tuitions tak ke chakkar kaantein hain.
Fankaar toh kayi aaye aur chale gaye
Kayi sayariyaan suni unsuni reh gayi
Kayi kahaaniyan kahi unkahi reh gayu
Kayi gaane apni awaaj tak naa dhoond paaye.
Kuch samaajh ke bojh tale dab gaye
Kuch kitaabon ke bojh tale.
Par bhala kyun kisse koi farak pare
Fankaaron ki kadra kyun kare,
Akhir...
"Sharma ji ke bete ko 98% aaye hain"
Bas yuhi sapne dab gaye
Yuhi zindagiyaan katt gayi.
Kayi baatein unkahi reh gayi
Kayi sapne undekhe reh gaye.
Sarkaari naukari ka zamana hain sahab,
Yaha dil ki baatein nahi, dil ka ilaaj hota hain.
Amirron ka zamana hain, meri jaan,
Yaha sapnon ke peeche nahi bhaagte,
sapne khareede jaate hain.
Bhalaa kyun kisse koi farak pare
Fankaaron ki kadra kyun kare
She is as fleeting as the koi
twice as skittish
delicate and pretty
life has burned her
a naturalist, who loves Thoreau
a poet, who enjoys Coleridge
She dreams in color
a woman who has been hurt
To approach her, you must be subtle
honesty is the quality she must see at all costs
if you try to approach any other way
she will shut you out like the others
Her koi fish appear as cowhide
red and white instead of black and white
They swim around lily pads that have shaken off their frogs
I marvel at their swimming prowess
And the pink blossom of the lily pad
Coy Koi
Fins ripple water
Colours of the rising sun
Koi glide quietly by
Aqua Marine: October, 2015
I am going to draw koi fish on my nails.
Tiny little things, swimming free in a sea of blue
they can’t see the end of.
But I can.
Everything has an end.
You must remember - live life with your eyes set below that dark horizon.
Everything has an end.
Everyone has an end - a means they’re gunning towards.
Do not set theirs as yours.
I am going to draw koi fish on my nails
(rewarding in its effort and focus)
and for a moment,
I just bask in the sun shining in from the window,
broken up though it is by my blinds.
Sitting here, doing jackall, is rebellion.
I am the light of the sun.
I am my love for my friends.
I am my interests
(and you know the best part?
I have many yet to discover, many yet to be at).
I am all that I give and all that I wish and all I surround myself with.
I am the koi fish I draw on my nails.
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