Your Catfish Friend

If I were to live my life

in catfish forms

in scaffolds of skin and whiskers

at the bottom of a pond

and you were to come by

one evening

when the moon was shining

down into my dark home

and stand there at the edge

of my affection

and think, "It's beautiful

here by this pond.I wish

somebody loved me,"

I'd love you and be your catfish

friend and drive such lonely

thoughts from your mind

and suddenly you would be

at peace,

and ask yourself, "I wonder

if there are any catfish

in this pond?It seems like

a perfect place for them."

 ------Richard Brautigan                                                          

Your Catfish Friend

Richard Brautigan

***

          I really enjoyed reading this poem because the author is trying to show the reader that at times you need someone to help you and that you can't do everything/live by yourself forever. This poem helped me connect to the people who live on islands and are trapped with no one with them because he explains he wishes for someone to stay with him and he will make he/she very happy.This is best illuminated when the poem says,"I'd love you and be your catfish friend and drive such lonely thoughts from your mind and suddenly you would beat peace"This proves how the speaker is lonely and is willing to make he/she happy. Also a catfish reminds me of a quite, peaceful and lonely fish that lives in the bottom of the ocean. This makes me believe that the catfish also has a low status and isn't noticed and maybe the speaker likes a girl but she doesn't notice him and he wishes her to notice him. This is what I think of the poem "YOUR CATFISH FRIEND" by Richard Brautigan means. (CLASS WORK 3/11/13)