Taste Aversion: A Pantoum

I told him I didn’t like fish.
Our first date he asked me to sushi,
probably saw it in a movie
thought it sounded worldly

Our first date he asked me to sushi.
I didn’t bother persisting no,
thought it sounded worldly.
He told me I should try it.

I didn’t bother persisting no
when he told me not all sushi had fish.
He told me I should try it
so we went to a fast-food sushi chain.

When he told me not all sushi had fish
my stomach tied a knot and my pulse beat skeptically.
So we went to a fast-food sushi chain
and I felt so sick my hands shook in my lap.

My stomach tied a knot and my pulse beat skeptically,
but I smiled and laughed at his stories.
And I felt so sick my hands shook in my lap
until he dropped me off at my house.

But I smiled and laughed at his stories,
made up a few of my own
until he dropped me off at my house.
I could tell he wanted to lean in for a kiss.

I made up an excuse of my own,
sick of his fast-food sushi breath.
I could tell he wanted to lean in for a kiss—
I told him I didn’t like fish.