[Jim Ramsey]

[version 2]
The First Time at the Beach

Oh how we two had tossed and flopped about,
wet flesh on wet while gods were wryly smiling,
I taking pains to mute my acts of defiling,
and not contort my face or sob or shout.

It was no time to fake more courage now,
no chance to ply old tricks or new positions,
no time to try some fumbling inquisitions—
the time was ripe to forge ahead and plow.

I conked the fellow smartly across its head—
it shuddered then, and then is when I shook
too, spilling guts from gills to bottom of that snook
with the guilt of one whose hands had left it dead.

I broiled it brushed in garlic, butter, lemon,
and said a blessing up to fishes’ heaven.

[version 1]
The First Time at the Beach

Oh how we two did toss and flop about,
wet flesh on wet the while the gods were watching,
I taking pains to save the act from botching,
to not contort my face or sob or shout.

It was no time to fake more courage now,
no chance to ply old tricks and new positions,
no time to try some fumbling inquisitions—
no, ‘was just time to forge ahead and plow.

I conked the fellow smartly on the head—
it shuddered so, and so is how I shook
when gutting gill to bottom quick the snook
with knowledge ’was my hand had made it dead.

I broiled it brushed with butter and lemon
and said a blessing up to fishes’ heaven.

[more word changes: cry to sob, thresh to flop, served my to said a]