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My Debut at the Fish Market
Bart Edelman
Didn’t go so well, first off.
You know, stage fright, jitters.
But, little by little,
The crowd warmed up a bit,
Especially when I sang
Every Eel Gets the Blues.
By the time I belted out
Blowfish for Sale or Rent,
The audience was mine.
Later, they demanded an encore.
Yes, I’ve never enjoyed crooning
Don’t Impugn the Striped Bass,
As much as I did that evening.
Charlie, the owner, quickly asked
If he could book me next week.
He’s paying a hundred bucks a night
And all the carp I can consume,
When I’m on the premises.
Who could decline such an offer?
I believe I’ve found my niche.
Perhaps, one day, Broadway will call,
Or some agent will catch the show,
Fall madly in love with my act—
Hook, line, and sinker.
Bart Edelman’s poetry collections include Crossing the Hackensack, Under Damaris’ Dress, The Alphabet of Love, The Gentle Man, The Last Mojito, The Geographer’s Wife, Whistling to Trick the Wind, and This Body Is Never at Rest: New and Selected Poems 1993–2023. He lives in Pasadena, California.