Not Just a Fish

A young woman finds a betta fish she instantly bonds with and brings him home, feeling proud and happy to care for him. She describes his beauty, his personality, and the joy he brought her. Later, her mother discovers the fish, disapproves of it, and forces her-out of anger and control-to dump the fish down the toilet. Scared of the consequences of refusing, she complies, and the fish dies.The poem expresses her grief, guilt, and regret for not being able to protect him, and affirms that he was more than "just a fish" - he was loved, and his short life mattered.