Catfish Man Poem by Clyde King

An old man sat fishing
Below the wooden bridge,
Catching only catfish.
"Don't you keep the others?
Every fish is good."
"Feel this slimy catfish,
Go ahead, here take it."
"Hell no, not a catfish! "
I said. "They are dirty! "
"Just touch it, feel it."
Knowing I balked at it
Left him laughing out loud.
"Maybe you need to know
Now why I keep only them.
Open this bucket here,
Pull one out by the gills."
Queasily I reached in.
Rank was the pungent smell.
"Smells very bad to me."
To which he laughed again
Under the wooden bridge.