catfish; suckering; cringing
Sometimes I'm listening to a certain musician, or reading an author's work, and I'm loving nearly every single thing coming down the pike, you know, and I'm wondering how that happens, because a lot of things seem boring or only okay, but not this person's things! And so either the person's a genius, or I am being suckered by some formula they've figured, they put anything in and out comes something I'll love, and it's only my lack of sophistication keeping this person's work so entrancing.
This day's instance: Richard Brautigan's writing. I was looking for stuff for my next lit mix, and ended up marking waaaay too many things, before giving up on marking. But tell me, am I a sucker to love a poem like this?
Your Catfish Friend
If I were to live my life
in catfish forms
in scaffolds of skin and whiskers
at the bottom of a pond
and you were to come by
one evening
when the moon was shining
down into my dark home
and stand there at the edge
of my affection
and think, "It's beautiful
here by the pond. I wish
somebody loved me,"
I'd love you and be your catfish
friend and drive such lonely
thoughts from your mind
and suddenly you would be
at peace,
and ask yourself, "I wonder
if there are any catfish
in this pond? It seems like
a perfect place for them."
------------------------------------------------
Also I am watching the golden globes pre-show, delighting in the horrible things isaac mizrahi says. Did you see that? He has asked every woman about her underwear, and some women, he asks even MORE provocative and offensive questions. He opens up their handbags. He touches their bosoms. He is a horrible, awkward, terrible man, and how it makes me laugh and laugh, and cringe.
posted by Kristi @ 7:19 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
i am still watching that show. it is breathtakinglingy embarrassing! i am embarrassed for all concerned! including myself! but can i turn away? no!
the hilary swank interview, oh my. what is wrong with me
breathtakinglingy!
The imagery in the catfish poem disturbs me for several reasons:
1. Catfish are horribly ugly creatures. The person who first caught one and decided to test whether or not it was edible must have been blind and starving.
2. Catfish a bottom-dwelling and bottom-feeders. They are not discerning. Yet, in spite of this, they are a delicacy and are particularly tasty when breaded and deep fried and served with a side of hush puppies.
3. Catfish are not sociable and prefer to live in holes in the banks of ponds or to burrow into the muck at the very bottom.
4. In the past year, I've watch a total of 2.5 hours in documentary footage concerning the practice of "noodling" - a fishing technique used by many of the rural poor in the South where the fisherman uses his hand as bait, sticking it into likely underwater holes. If a catfish bites down on the hand, the fisherman must then wrestle the damned thing up out of its hinding place, out of the water and into the boat - No small task because the fish can get quite large at over 100 pounds. What does this have to do with anything? Probably nothing. I just felt that if I didn't throw in the noodling info, that those 2.5 hours would have been wasted.
scott turns down any and all catfish friend offers, i see. i take this as a caution against nature documentaries. i knew i'd been avoiding the penguin movie for a reason.
yeah, i thought the globes were boring too ayelet--especially having to follow isaac's shenanigans. what could top them?
i looooved last week's office episode! and the one before that i had thought was exceptionally good, then they come around another week with one JUST as good! dwight and his concussion, such fun.
I really really like this poem!!
And I don't like watching the golden globes because they make me feel ugly, fat and poor. Or maybe more accurately: uglier, fatter and poorer.
Is this Richard Brautigan's poem?
I still haven't sent my lit mix!! I'm so bad...
oh, i'm glad you like it! this is indeed a richard brautigan poem. my lit mix isn't on the way anytime soon or anything, i was just thinking a teeny bit about it.
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