Brigit's Flame: The Carp

[prncsspetulance]

The Carp

Mother told this story
about her mother
and her brother.
Ron had caught a fish,
a carp, but not to eat.
He wanted to keep it
for a pet. He was too young
to know anything about fish.
Maybe he wanted to put it
in a bowl or the bathtub
or make it a pond.
But none of that matters-
What matters is this:

Their mother took the fish
and she put it in a pot
and while he watched it
swimming in small circles,
the heat was rising.
She'd turned the stove on
and it moved slower
and slower
until it started
to turn white
and by the time
he realized
what was happening
it was too late.
Belly up!

My mother didn’t say
exactly how Ron reacted
because that is all he said:
That the crazy old bitch
cooked his pet carp.
And then she told me.
I don’t know why she told me
or why I’m telling you
or why Ron told her.
But maybe it’s one of those
things you tell people
to see if they’ll believe it.

If they don’t,
you can tell yourself
it was made-up.
If they do, they understand
it’s just one of those stories
too sick and strange
to keep to yourself.