Choo 3T Fish (b. 1940) is a Chinese American poet and neologist, credited with
coining the phrase "iambic rentameter," originally to describe his own
work. Born in Western Europe, but greatly influenced by his graduate studies at Harvard in
the early 1960s, Mr. Fish is considered one of North America's most redoubtable poets.
Although his work is not widely known, he has remained in print for over thirty years. His
Roe Roe Roe Your Boat appeared in 1978, only four years after his third collection,
Swimming Through the Darkness, won the National Book Award. He currently makes his
home in Providence, RI, where he is professor emeritus at Brown University.
(from The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry.)
HER MOVEMENTS GENTLE AS THE DAY
Her movements gentle as the day
Her teeth as white
She keeps her thoughts
She laughs at haddock
(1969)
PETTING, POSTING THE BANDS
Petting, posting the bands
Nuptial bond, matrimony
The married knot, spooning and cooing
Groom and bride, not until death
Holy wedlock, wedded bliss
Man sleeps in pairs
But all fish sleep together
(1989)
MY LOVE IS LIKE A DYING ROSE
My love is like a dying rose
and
My love is like betraying me
and
The window opens up her beauty
and
The window opens down her red grace
and
I try to escape her thighs
but
I go to the kitchen and eat raw flounder instead
(1968)
I WAS FASHIONABLY LATE FOR BED
I was fashionably late for bed
and
I waited, breathing your air
and
Father
I waited, hoping you'd tell me
To fuck a wet salmon
(1971)
LOVE TUNA WOBBLE-WOBBLE
You dance to me
You dance to pleasure
as
I see your face
I rush to the bakery
and
if
We do
Love tuna wobble-wobble
(1969)
AS A YOUNG CHILD I SAW YOU, AS YOU HID
As a young child i saw you, as you hid
and
As a young child i slept in a bed
Where i watched you, as you hid
And i slept
Watching
Waiting for you to mention fish
(1974)
THEY BURIED ME UNCOOKED
They buried me uncooked
Without an erection
In a coffin filled with fish
On the wrong side of town
A raw deal
But still
A good buy
Fish
And indeed there will be time
To wonder, "Do I dare?" and, "Do I dare?"
And the air
Fills the vacuum
Left by my departure
With only a whisper
Shhh
(1982)
INVERTED SOCK
Inverted sock
Triumphal march
First Baptist Meeting House
Van Wickle Gates
Baccalaureate
Commencement
Honorary degree
Rain plan
Graduates
Bears
Procession
Cap and gown
A raw fillet of mackerel
Tucked under your arm
(Written for the Graduation Commencement Address, Brown University, 1984)
TELL ME WHAT SORT OF FISH YOU LIKE (SUSAN LEE)
No water is still, on top.
Without wind, even, it is full
Of a chill, superficial agitation.
It is easy to forget,
Or not to know at all.
James Dickey, "The Movement of Fish"
Tell me what sort of fish you like (Susan Lee)
Tell me what animals rouse you from sleep
and
I'll tell you the passage
In the school yard
That leads to treasure
Beyond the imaginings even of cod
(Written for SLH, 1985)
FREEDOM AND LIBERTY
Freedom and Liberty the pavane dance
and
War and Peace on settee recline
and
Time and Tide bathe in mighty shoals
while
Past and Future buck the divine
but
Sea grass continues to grow
and
Power tools fool the mightiest squid
(1994)
TAKE BIRTH AND DEATH
Take birth and death
and
Love and locks
and
Doors and shysters
and
Pills and rocks
but
Nothing makes sense
until
You dream
Of a frosty magnum
Of tippled trout
(1995)
PITY THIS BUSY NUNSTER POETRY SNOT
pity this busy nunster poetry snot
pity the scribbler in afternoon church
And
hold out your hand
hold out for time
the cast of thousands will net abalone
(Written for the half-centennial celebration of the publication of Fifty Poems by e. e. cummings, Columbia University, 1990)
THE SIZE OF THINGS TO COME IS SMALL
The size of things to come is small
and
The size of things to come is quiet
and
I hold you in my hand
and
The sound of your breath
The thought of your hunger
A tentative turn
Keeps my world dancing jetés
In quantums quiet and small
– Got any Sues?
(I won't tell) – Go fish
(1983)
NINE I AM NOT A FLYING FISH
Nine minutes to Monday
Eight hours to dawn
Seven sorrows to capture
Six passes to pawn
Five minutes to kiss
Four hours to pray
Three flimsy raptures
Two unholy, delay
One Fish, flying
Sailing, away.
(1984)
A Soviet first strike launched from submarines off the East Coast will take less than nine minutes to reach their targets in the continental U.S.
MOTHER’S WALK
Mothers walk
and
Mothers crumble
and
Mothers talk
and
Mothers rumble
and
Mothers milk
Joyous, humble
Mothers smile
and
Mothers cuddle
and
Mothers wile
and
Mothers huddle
and
Mothers pile
Pass and fumble
– Look out! That ball’s really a Unicorn Tang!
(1984)
EVERY ANGEL
Every angel
An angle, a sing-song
Every angel
Agile, an anarchist
My breath grows short
My heart longs
and
Your face flush
Red snapper
(1999)POISON FISH
I asked myself to work
I asked myself to play
And slowly, slowly
I asked myself to meter out a mild invective
I asked myself to pretense
I asked myself to grovel
Strike that! the director cried
(He who walks, also rans)
Pterois volitans
(1999)
THE SEXUAL ELEMENTThe device
Dreams of a love affair
Nimble, amazingly comprehensive
The lovers
Enjoy a sauna
Dream of naked bodies
Touching and maddening
and
You might call
Him
Over to her place
The next day
but
Yawning
Her knees apart
Tickled pink,
Marbled Headstander,
He licks the sleep from her eyes.(1999)
LOVERS SWINGLovers swing
Through life entangled
Weeding belles
and
Beaux bo-jangled
Joy and sorrow
Pleasures’ well
Angels swoop
From Earth to Hell
Heaven sent
The thread unweaves
Loving vow
Such treasure leaves
A bitter taste of stapled carp(2000)
FROMfrom
baby bladder big boy madness
badness tickles your middle ages
makes your eyes red like a scallop
beaten to a pulp by a broken ketchup bottle
from
mid term to full term
goldfish to trout to spoiled salmon
there's death in every bite
you can't cook sushi
without a helluva lot of nerve
(2001)
I LOOK AT BIRTHi look at birth
i look good for my age
i look out
outside my window
outside my door
inside the headroom
of my bedroom a bore
the meat sags
the flesh tingles less
the abattoir of sin
makes each year confess
blowfish!
(2008)
SHANTY O'TOOKsing me a shanty, dear
sing it loud and sing it clear
make it tall a tail of carp
or deep sea fishes in the dark
tell me of the loves of fish
of tuna rising from a ditch
of sharks and pods, or loves of wenches
who dream of plunging salty trenches
of tools and steel and rising winches
that make her sing like timeless finches
oh my love come on the beach
and roll in waves within my reach
(2008)
markmalxxx@highcastle.com (Remove Xs.)