SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Sunfish or Moonfish, She Gives Me Joy

A tanka. A story about oceans and their efforts to reduce climate change. What gives me joy? I met a sunfish in South Africa

The sunfish I met near Capetown, South Africa. What a fish! What an ocean spirit! Picture by author.

A curious sunfish
is floating, waving her fin.
And when I call her,
she wonders why this Dutchie
calls her a sunny moonfish.

This tanka is my poetic way of celebrating the life of a sunfish I met in South Africa. Sunfish are gorgeous! They are funny.

Sunfish are funfish.

This one was waving her fin at me as if to say: “Hey, nice to meet you. How are you doing?” And I responded: “Hello moonfish.”

In my language, Dutch, the sunfish is called a moonfish. Why? I haven’t the slightest idea. Sun or moon, both are round, both are shaped like a sunfish or moonfish...

I assume this is an aquarium picture. You can see the shape of the sunfish. Picture credit: Eric Chan on Flickr.

Sunfish are the most curious creatures. They can weigh tonnes, they are heavy fish. And funny ones. They are like floating fish heads...

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