A Feeding Frenzy Poem by Raymond Farrell

I never thought one loaf of day old bread
would cause such a feeding frenzy
down at the water's edge
there were ducks and geese waddling aimlessly
gulls would skim low enough to drink
and in the stagnant dirty stream itself
gigantic sluggish carp surfaced briefly
I began by carefully breaking off little bits
tossing them nonchalantly into the water
a school of carp formed before me
thrashing wildly with gaping mouths
soon the birds came
first the gulls screaming at the top of their lungs
dove to snatch pieces out of the air
next the ducks paddling through a mass of squirming fish
took chunks out of the fishes' open mouths
the geese arrived last pushing their way in
I began to break off great hunks
flinging the bread in every direction
the birds and fishes would converge on the bread
in a complete frenzy
at times the ducks were riding on the backs of carp
unable to paddle a stroke
in frustration a goose attacked one of the ducks
and drove it away
this mayhem continued until all the bread was gone
then the ducks and geese
went back to waddling aimlessly on the bank
the carp dispersed
and the gull's silently skimmed the water's surface.