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[personal profile] pecunium
My Marine Bio prof gave an extra credit assignment; write a poem about gills. The requirement: it has to have all the major structures.

The fish drinks its air
Moving water past the pair

Of rakers, arches, and lamellae
Filaments, slits or opercula

Getting everything it needs
By, “breathing” as it feeds

When standing still
And at ramming speeds

Re: High Standards?

Date: 2010-05-19 04:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pecunium.livejournal.com
I thought about it, or a sestina.

But I am lazy, and those are hard.

Re: High Standards?

Date: 2010-05-19 04:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] foms.livejournal.com
Maybe a rondeau or a double dactyl?

Re: High Standards?

Date: 2010-05-19 04:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pecunium.livejournal.com
Such a thing would be a gaff.

Re: High Standards?

Date: 2010-05-19 07:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] antonia-tiger.livejournal.com
A sonnet, written well, is something hard,
But the rhythm falls, it does not strain,
So easy to the tongue of English bard,
It brings out life, as does the gentle rain.
The fish, in water held, has other thrills,
And cannot speak: it has no use for air.
Yet it must breathe, and so it uses gills;
One on each side, the customary pair.
Rakers, arches, slits, we students of the parts;
Filament, opercula, lamellae;
By names control, as if by magic arts.
But, just in case I've nam'd these parts in vain
The gill I want is labelled Allt-a-Bhainne

Re: High Standards?

Date: 2010-05-20 03:39 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pecunium.livejournal.com
Brava, but the sonnet is, sadly, not my form.

On the other hand... I think I may have a gill of Caol Ila, and I may share this with my prof.

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