I Believe In Fish – A Fish Poem

I Believe In Fish – A Fish Poem

 A heartfelt reflection on the beauty, mystery, and wisdom of fish. From childhood dreams to deep-sea encounters, explore the connection between nature and the soul.

Images and article by William Drumm

I believe in fish.  I believe that few things are as elegant as their sinuous carvings through the blue, small jetties twisting outward off their caudal fin.  Drifting sea horses and lightning-fast swordfish, carpet sharks that look more like the doormat at your granny’s than a fish.

Mudskippers, darters, moa-moas, electric eels; an infinite collection of forms and shapes and lives and sizes that make me believe in fishes.

I used to pray for fishes.  The night before fishing trips with my dad I would lie awake in bed, praying for God to deliver me a lunker.  I still dream about fish.

At 12 I got my scuba license so I could swim with them.  When I was 14 my dad took me to the Keys.  On a sunny day in 40 ft of water, the reef’s landscape went dreary as a cloud-shaped fish eclipsed the sun.  It was a manta ray, and its massive form was playing with our tiny bubbles. As the light was concealed, I became very calm, very focused, and in awe of these winged giants.  From then on I knew I wanted to be a fish.

I Dream About Fish

Several times a week I dream about fishes.  Sometimes I’m catching them, sometimes I’m swimming with them, and sometimes I am one.  Last night I dreamt that I was fishing with a friend when I got a bite.  My bait was taken by a blood-red, bloated monster of a stingray.  My friend and I both tugged as hard as we could, then like a slingshot the huge crimson saucer erupted from the water and flew Frisbee style hundreds of feet behind us.  Dreams like this are not unusual for me.

I like pan-fried perch, trout on a stick, baked black-cod, striped marlin in garlic butter, deep-fried catfish, and barbecue barracuda.  I like cooking fish right after catching them, preferably in a campfire on the banks of a lake or a beach.  When I was in Australia I caught four months’ worth of reef fish on one trip.  All semester I cooked fish for my friends; we rolled sushi and stuffed onions in the mouths of pig-sized nannagais.

This wasn’t just another case of a whale stranding—it was a clear message about the devastating impact of ocean pollution on marine life. The collected trash was later displayed in an aquarium to raise awareness about the consequences of plastic pollution in our oceans.

The Wisdom of Fish

It’s as simple as the soft ripples in the wake of a tuna.  The philosophy of fishes is deep, and almost always just as cliché.  “Just keep on swimming” or “swimming against the current” or “if you give a man a fish…”  But for me, fish just represent the simple pleasures of life and the brilliance of nature.

I think I will become a fisherman. Maybe find myself a beachside cabana with a garden, where I can live out my days in peace until my inevitable death and – if I’m lucky – I am reborn as a fish.

Learn More About William

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