The Price of Fish


The price of fish, way too steep for richy folk,
check-off charlies and scammers with the wavy eye;
they take a number then pretend they haven't.

The price of fish is weighed in coins of sticky blood,
a willing blend of oil and thorn,
a seamless grace reduced to big top silliness and laughs.

The price of fish, a painful toll,
paid in currency stained by love while somewhere
Saint Peter's saxophone leaks asthma wheeze.

The price of fish turned face of Jesus to TV static,
cut off his fingers while he hung; caused
no one to remove his workboots just before the sale.

Copyright (c) 2008 Gary Brown