After Raymond Carver

I

These fish that come to me at

all hours of the night have a

history in disparate terrorist 

groupings. The Plaice for example

learnt Spanish in Mexico and fought

the Americans until all his compatriots 

had been decapitated. The John Dory spent

time moving back and forth across the Irish

border for the INLA until he became unhappy 

with the misleading reading of Trotsky. The female

Trout swapped allegiances between Combat 18 and

various Dutch neo-fascist factions until she ran out 

of water. I find each of them admirable in their 

conviction if foolhardy and with a tendency to

dogmatism. I just wish they’d keep better hours

as I’m now having to sleep through the afternoons

at work.   

II

At night the salmon move and 

who can sleep easy?  Heads on

pillows twist and turn repeatedly with

the memories of misdemeanour. The 

rumour is that these fish can move to

land and take on new mutant forms. Those

who worked for Findus or John West can

rest assured that an entire Scholastic calculus

of their exact misdeeds is available to these 

slippery assassins. Moreover, as any ichthyologist

will tell you, forgiveness is an anthropomorphic virtue.   

III

At night the salmon move so

watch out you’ll miss them 

they’ve been to the tailors got

seersucker suits to the Joke Shop

for false moustaches they’ve 

been to the Sex Shop for lubricant

to move more stealthily through

the night undergrowth beware all

poachers these chameleon fish are 

out for revenge they ain’t for 

forgiveness in fact from what I hear 

quite the opposite they take their cue

from previous terrorist justice.