It’s Friday, you must eat your fish!
I hate the taste; may I have a different dish?
The church says fish. You have no other wish.
Go to bed hungry until you reform.
You’ll go to hell if you don’t conform.
What’s that you say, meat on Friday is now, okay?
The Italian fishing fleet no longer has any sway.
Everyone that went to hell in the past can now come out and play!
So, see Dad, I was right all along. Why the silence—have you nothing to say?
Shut up and eat your steak. Have it your way.
(I’ve never liked the taste of fish. Fresh-water fish or salt-water fish, crustations, or mollusks, it doesn’t matter. They all taste like crap to me. If it breathes water, I don’t eat it.)
About the Creator
Mark Gagnon
My life has been spent traveling here and abroad. Now it's time to write.
I have three published books: Mitigating Circumstances, Short Stories for Open Minds, and Short Stories from an Untethered Mind. Unmitigated Greed is do out soon.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives


Comments (14)
The freedom of choice and individual identity are priorities for me. I love the church very much and its genuine traditions, but I refuse to struggle with internal conflicts that anyone can unconsciously impose on me. I always hold on to what is truly right, and to get to know myself better, I cut fish out of my diet when I was twenty-five. It's been a while now...💚 :)
Hi Mark - "Shut-Up" and just put some Ketchup on it - J-Bud
The battles my father and I had over fish were epic. Glad you got a laugh out of it.
Mark, I loved this! Had a big smile on my face the entire time I read! I love fish but it took me a while to grow into it... I can completely relate to this, especially the sentiment that the church required us to eat fish on Fridays and then changed their minds. Funny how that work, eh? Loved the narrative and playful feel of this poem! Great work over all! 💜
Yayyyyy I found someone like me! I used to cry when I was forced to eat fish as a kid! I don't like any seafood either. I stopped eating fish when I was 12 and became a vegetarian when I was 20. So I'm free from all of it, lol! I loved your poem so much!
Aw come on. I love fish, not the fresh water one. that one tastes like crap.
Good one but I love fish!!
Lol. This is great..I do like fish, though.
Too funny, Mark! I’m so glad you did one.
Not fond of fish either. Funny idea for a story!💙Anneliese By the way our review of Mitigating Circumstances is on Amazon now.
🤣🤣
🤣🤣🤣. 🐠 I agree with this!! Can I add the link to the Marshmallow collection?
This was brilliant, Mark! Well done! Love it - so funny!
Omg that last line made me laugh so hard, if it breaths water, no thanks LOL!! Great read Mark