MERIMBULA EATS



                      With squinching holes for eyes,
                      the cuttlefish bears the long-drawn face of a blue baby
                      or gramps’ squeezed dry in mourning.
                      Squatting, the fisher man thrusts deep his knife
                      into its mouth, again and again,
                      scraping out his fish-hook with an entrail or two
                      from a clutch of tentacles dancing spider-like in spasm.
                      Kill it, dad!  The little tacker’s foot stabs at the limpid mantle
                      pulsating on the sun-drenched planking.
                      Why you want to keel? shrugs the fisher,
                      wiry as a beach worm in khakis and boots.
                      Eet die anyways.  Inda sun.  Den mangiamo.

                       
                     Smorgasbord Special  12-2  Monday to Friday

             Eatasmuchasyoulike   

   7 dollars adults 5 dollars children


                                           sharks fin soup
                                           prawn crackers
                                           stuffed claw of crab
                                           cuttlefish balls
                   calamari tubes
                   honeyed ants nest
                   watershoots and beancurdle
                   phoenix wings fried to a crisp
                   curried chicken feet with baby corns
                   sweet and sour stork
                   peking duckbill
                   fillet of a fenny snake


O for the simple crudites of Eden


                                                            Michael Small
September, 1991

pub.  The Mozzie, vol. 12, issue 1, Jan-Feb, 2004


PS  Dear Reader,

I apologise for leaving ‘Garp’ in  the Edit version, but it is now in an intelligible shape (I hope!).

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