Sunday 2 March 2014

Fishnet Dude

lake fishing

dude steals across field
fence down signs swing like barn doors
way out of site
no entry is free
coupla good old boys scratch heads and get to their feet
thumbs in waistcoat dude addresses them on the price of fish
proof enough for me brother
common ground around here

earlier dude has sight of deeds in private vault
the words big cheese corp copperlate on manila envelope

soon talking heads helluva crowd pack into that field
check out prices boys uptown downtown turnaroundtown
cod shrimp scampi red snappers fresh whitebait
seahorse porpoise jellyfish & lobster all squarely kettled
in genteel quadriles of debate
bring up mullet herring or whelk tho'
and comic tempers may be frayed to a whoop
yet sportmanlike no smacked wrists for sticklers or touts

this overhead thru din of revels
how come so few cats dig this line of jive while thems that do talk the back legs off an octopus
don’t know what they missing eh bub

these days balmy days old dude hat checks and bows
newcomers in with welcomes & grooms
waffles and root beer on sale right here ma’am
coconut shy to your left sir
tombola on center kids
everythink a dime a throw

O man does the coin sack up a treat

one time word comes in of fish stocks washed up on lake shore
somewheres over farraway hills
long uns bloaters cute little tiddlers all crack tails and croak
bayloads just beached for the asking
should it be bells ringing or hands a-wringing
nature or nurture not sure O fishnet dude do tell
whither should we proceed with bucket and spade

but no answer comes from dude of any fish hole outing
a sorry blow to long-winders and anti-pork talkers
though many ain’t moved past an oh & an ah
while the more vocal gainsters just plain stone-wall
it too far away they pipe
poisoned fish got no price tag these parts
and what else is there to say
get the heck outta here if you wanna talk that snit

objectionable stink arises and abates
fluctuates as the wind picks up
then veers south
sky gleams deep blue grey
very ground appears to shift
whence old dude does quick line of nosepicks & shovels hollering
dig in all those that are sticking it out
so loud even stray cats hear his voice trailing off

meantime good old boys go round
with placcards proclaiming ground rent is due

and what secret code shuffles in that ornery phrase

suddenly all fish talk turns to bubbles
dude has sold out to big cheese corp
why yes it’s as your honour gassed
this whole land’s worth a googleplex in fracking rights
pip pip hooray hooray hooray

six months on winter has set in
the stolen ground frozen underfoot
stampers grumble over tinned pilchards
sardines in tabasco sauce© & all you can net for cheap

Philip Lee, 2013
Where's the Catch?

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