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Fish, No Thanks!

Sometimes it is all about winning.

By Mark GagnonPublished 3 years ago 1 min read
Fish, No Thanks!
Photo by henry perks on Unsplash

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.)

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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!

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  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  2. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

  3. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  1. Expert insights and opinions

    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

  2. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  3. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

  4. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  5. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

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Comments (14)

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  • Test10 months ago

    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...💚 :)

  • Jay Kantor2 years ago

    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.

  • Test3 years ago

    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!

  • Novel Allen3 years ago

    Aw come on. I love fish, not the fresh water one. that one tastes like crap.

  • RP3 years ago

    Good one but I love fish!!

  • Cathy holmes3 years ago

    Lol. This is great..I do like fish, though.

  • Test3 years ago

    Too funny, Mark! I’m so glad you did one.

  • Test3 years ago

    Not fond of fish either. Funny idea for a story!💙Anneliese By the way our review of Mitigating Circumstances is on Amazon now.

  • Donna Renee3 years ago

    🤣🤣🤣. 🐠 I agree with this!! Can I add the link to the Marshmallow collection?

  • Paul Stewart3 years ago

    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

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