Cooper’s Catch, Kaikoura

Posted on 2018-04-06 by Bartholomew Barker

For today’s prompt, pick a food, make it the title of your poem, and write your poem. It can be a food you love, food you hate, or food you’ve never even tried before. Your poem can be about the food–or not. Your choice.

033_5

Cooper’s Catch, Kaikoura

Driving on the wrong
side of the road,
destined for Christchurch,
I watched the Pacific,
blue and forgetful,
until I found a tourist dive
offering fish and chips.

I emerged with a plain paper bag,
bottom already darkened
by oil and grease,
but, oh the golden glory
of beer battered
firm white flesh
with fries thick and salty.

Back in the car,
now sated, I envied
the chubby fur seals
lounging on rocks
in the sun, lulled
to sleep that hot December
afternoon by the waves.

About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is an organizer of Living Poetry, a collection of poets in the Triangle region of North Carolina where he has hosted a monthly feedback workshop for more than decade. His first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular, written in and about strip clubs, was published in 2013. His second, Milkshakes and Chilidogs, a chapbook of food inspired poetry was served in 2017. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2021. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he lives and writes poetry.

View all posts by Bartholomew Barker →

This entry was posted in Poetry and tagged aprpad, chips, fish, food, new zealand. Bookmark the permalink.

7 Responses to Cooper’s Catch, Kaikoura

JeanMarie says:

2018-04-07 at 00:04

yum

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- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2018-04-07 at 00:29
  
  Best fish and chips I’ve eaten. So far.
  
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Lisa Tomey says:

2018-04-07 at 07:16

Oh the tastiness! And the lull as well. Nice contrast.

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- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2018-04-07 at 09:46
  
  Thanks. A lull is unavoidable after a big lunch.
  
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ELLE says:

2018-04-08 at 11:38

I wish! Sounds delicious. I could practically taste it, your descriptions are sublime.

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- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2018-04-08 at 17:45
  
  Thank you very much. For the food is as much about the setting as the sustenance.
  
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