The Subway Piranhas, by Edwin Morgan

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

The Subway Piranhas

Did anyone tell you
that in each subway train
there is one special seat
with a small hole in it
and underneath the seat
is a tank of piranha-fish
which have not been fed
for quite some time.
The fish become quite agitated
by the shoogling of the train
and jump up through the seat.
The resulting skeletons
of unlucky passengers
turn an honest penny
for the transport executive,
hanging far and wide
in medical schools.

-- Edwin Morgan

Comments

[two-grey-rooms.livejournal.com]

ahahaha that is fantastic!

[bright-ephemera.livejournal.com]

So why, I ask you, do the noisy children never choose those seats?

Then again, maybe they do, it's just that they get devoured after I leave. That's sort of comforting.

On an unrelated note, I love your icon. Great picture/text combo.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Ummm - maybe because fish are scared of noise?

I don't see how they can say the fish "haven't been fed in quite some time" - aren't the subways running 'round the clock? But maybe it just seems like 'quite some time' to the piranha, because fish have such short memories.

I wonder who cleans the tanks........

Thank you for sharing this

[mirmusing.livejournal.com]

I just love ironic verse like this. M