Sheephead by Mark James Andrews

Night fishing with Felix the Cat

a Sheephead is flopping on concrete

pulled out of the soup over the sea wall

behind Cobo Hall where the Mothers

of Invention just finished doing a show.

 

It’s a swallowed-the-hook dilemma

with the 20 pound test line tangled

in the landing net and lead sinker

with Felix loaded on Ludes

struggling with needle nose pliers

 

I waltz over with a flash to spotlight

the oral surgery & gullet probing

when a crowd of hippies gather

goggle eyed and loud chanting

about Mud Sharks & Trout Masks.

 

Felix gets distracted by a girl

in a halter & mini & he starts up

singing Watch me, Watch me, I got it…

When he tugs at the silver fish too hard

out comes the hook & digs in his forearm.

 

His little queenie jumps back teetering

on her platform heels to move off

with her gang while kicking over a row

of green bottles of Mickey’s Big Mouths

our lineup of dead soldiers Clink, Clink, Clink.

Mark James Andrews continues to live and write on the borderline of Detroit most of the time. He has a fresh chapbook about to drop at any minute titled So I Lit A Fire For The Last Thanksgiving from Alien Buddha Press.