Squid
A poem presented at Colours of Life 2017 – the annual poetry festival of the Bahrain Writers’ Circle.
Now I’m not vegetarian
Nor yet pescetarian
Not even a pure carnivore
I’m an eat-everything-atarian
There’s not much that I don’t adore
When it comes to the fishes
I can devour most dishes
But there is one thing I abhor
It’s that strange little creature
With a tentacular feature
It’s name down my throat wouldn’t slid
Although my ol’ teacher
Demanded that I just say ‘squid’
I shuddered, I quaked, I all but flaked
I felt my life, on it was staked
“Oh, please don’t make me!” I pled
“Why not squid, you’re so silly,” she said
“Er…Ummm,” I so wished I were dead
“It’s so slimy, so squiggly, so terribly wriggly.”
“Oh child, it’s just all in your head.”
“No, ‘taint.” I retorted, albeit feebly
And blanched at the thought of the squid
My face on my desk I then hid
While my breath went all wheezy’n’queasy
Many years soon sped by
So I thought I should try
To dine on this marine delectation
So….“I’ll have calamari,” said I
With a measure of great trepidation
Along came this dish
Of the offending fish
All battered and fried to damnation
But…In spite of the batter
In spite of the crunch
In spite of the fact that I’d have it for lunch
The rubbery squid, it all but did
Me in… as it stuck in my throat
I gasped, I choked, I nearly croaked
And swore once more as I had before
That I’d never again eat squid!
To view the live presentation please click here.
