From Pea e to Pie e

26 Creative Essay

Pling. The little pellet of fish food lands on the surface of the water. Waves toss the pellet around until it finally gets sucked into the fleshy abyss. Pling. Another pellet leaves my hand, never to be seen again. It breaks the calm of the water, releasing a chain reaction in the aquatic realm. Chaos. More pellets hit the water. Anarchy. They disappear in an instant. Battle of the beasts.

*** The koi pond rests peacefully on the east wing of the church grounds, basking in the light of the setting sun. I put my hands in my pockets and stand there, observing and admiring the foliage and stonework. I notice the pond and I approach it. Upon doing so, many koi propel at the sight of a human, one that may have food. I frown and put my hands out, as though they could clearly see that I do not have food, and that they would understand and swim away. Sorry, guys. I got nothing. I then notice a little machine that, when given a quarter, pours out a handful of fish food into my palm. I might as well, I only have one quarter. I toss a couple pellets into the water only to create a mass of waves and color.

I sit along the edge of the pond and watch them. Each one varies in color. Some are like rotting oranges, and one stands out like a fresh tangerine. Some are spotted like Dalmatians, speckled with scarlet acrylic, and some are black like naturally smooth, uncut onyx. One is gray, like the mossy stone that holds them captive. The runway of liquid is a reflection of the outside, a world the koi will never be aware of. Their eyes see what the surface allows them to see: large quivering things looking down at them. Still content, they swim through their world, oftentimes disrupting the glass surface with eager ripples in the hopes of food. Their massive mouths open and inhale both water and air, making the weirdest sounds. Finding nothing to satisfy their hunger, they descend once again.

Whether grazing the floor of the pond or drying their backs in the sunlight, the koi all have a common purpose. A purpose that has been served for millennia, originating in the Asian cultures. They unknowingly provide peace and tranquility to their spectators, symbolizing the virtues of endurance, strength, and peace. Their intelligence, while surpassing much aquatic life, is often overlooked by their beauty.

I put their meal on pause and absorb the calm around me. As I sit back and close my eyes, I realize that these creatures, although the epitome of tranquility, are still creatures nonetheless, and become ravenous beasts when food is on the line. I open my eyes and resume the feeding. Pling. The race begins once again, as their vacuums struggle only to consume water and air. They spit out the water, frustrated that they were not the one fortunate koi to suck in the pellet. Pling. And again, they scramble to be the lucky winner. Ah, what the heck. I dump the handful into the sea of mouths. This oughta be good.