Remembering the taste of fish
when all we get are pork and spuds
because the seas have died, no dish
of haddock, cod is gone. my blood
has thinned to water, while I sleep
remembering the taste of fish
we feast on turnips ‘cause it’s cheap
when plates our trout is our wish
we long for pickled flesh well squished
with spiny bones we served it forth
remembering the taste of fish
on silent beaches south and north
with dying waters, poison sea
can never give us any bliss
we walk in hunger, no more free
remembering the taste of fish
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Today Laura hosts dVerse MTB where we write Quaterns and also tries to get inspiration from the writings by Günter Grass. In both examples Laura gives as well as my memories from the filn “The Tin Drum” fish is quite important in his writing.
October 16, 2025
Björn Rudbergs writings 
In the annals of lament poetry, this is probably the only one that made me want to go out and eat fish and chips immediately! I loved the flavorful words, the atmosphere of loss and hunger in this apocalyptic landscape. Hopefully, not our future.
So much fish has gone already… but I still hope.
Your still life with fish reminded me of the rollmops we used to get in Germany, and how much I enjoyed pickled fish back then. I don’t eat meat, but I do have fish now and again, Björn. I hope the sea gods find a way to rid their realm of poison.
I hope too… fish theme seemed to work for me.
the longing for fish is so well illustrated with your lines that are not the most appetising but even that is desirous:
“we long for pickled flesh well squished
with spiny bones “
p.s. thanks for posting the Tin Drum extract- fabulously filmed in all its horror of Grass’s book
The spiny bones was I took from the quotes you gave… and yes the horse head scene is one I will never forget from that movie.
Excellent illustratin for this….and wow! How you’ve dealt with climate change in a concrete way. The folly of humans poisoning the oceans, the land. This really brings it home! Excellent use of the form!
Thank you… yes climate change as well as overfishing and too much pollution
Excellent job! Very well done.
Thanks
You really went with the fish motif. Nicely done.
Spuds and turnips too.
They lend an air of mundanity to the overwhelming phenomenon, making us feel somewhat useless. 👏
I felt that fish was a strong theme in what I saw in the writing of Grass
Your ominous poem is very well written, Bjorn.
Alas the theme is ominous
:>)
The format is well-executed while retaining the message in the poem. Well-done!
I sometimes find keeping to a stict form make it easier to keep with a theme.
Yes, words evolve as per the format. Maybe that is not what we have in mind at the starting point, but it goes a certain way.
You certainly echoed the food theme running through both of those Grass poems Björn, and tied it in with the ills of the world – bravo!
I have only watched the Tin Drum as very young, but I think an ominous theme was there as well… (war…)
Brilliant of you to use what Grass obviously enjoys ~ fish ~ as the focus of your quatern. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, Bjorn.
Thank you— fish was a large part—
That video put me off my lunch — but it was hard to look away Björn… 😐
Thank you — I should have warned
I love your fish theme, and warnings.
Oh so sad! Your poem reminds me to be more appreciative of what I have.