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.
Commentary
Some years ago, Edwin Morgan was commissioned by the Scottish Arts Council to write a series of poems for the inauguration of Glasgow’s refurbished Underground system. He sent this sample, which sent such alarm through the Strathclyde transport executive that they decided against using the poems.
from Poems On The Underground
Even London Underground didn’t dare to use the poem - its only given in the anthology’s notes. I was reminded of it both by the Morgan poem you gave, and by a trip last week to Calcutta. Passing the entrances to the Calcutta Metro, I couldn’t help remembering that Calcutta is also the centre of India’s thriving human skeleton export trade…
— Vikram