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I opened up a can one day
And heard a chilling song,
Lamenting how our human wants
Have done the tuna wrong.

It sang, “You fish and fish for me,
When you have had enough,
For something you call sushi
And that other money stuff.

“I keep the balance in the sea
Atop the chain of food.
I dive with such quicksilver speed,
Fins flashing as I move.

“I’m not a goldfish in a bowl;
The ocean is my home.
I live on up to 40 years,
In breezy mists to roam.

“So, when you eat your tuna,
Because I know you will,
Take time to give a little thanks,
A moment to be still.

“The red rock desert of your heart
Is where it all begins.
Expand yours like my ocean home
Of harmony within.

“Take what you need and nothing more,
And let the others live.
Though we may be endangered still,
You understand the gift.”

I listened to the tuna’s song,
And then I bowed my head
To thank the Lord for blessing me
With tuna fish and bread.

—
For Linda Kruschke’s
Paint Chip Poetry Prompt #36, Endangered Species,
with bluefin tuna facts from
World Wildlife Fund.