You Suck At Striper Fishing

You suck at striper fishing

declares a bumper sticker on a Toyota Tacoma.

 

I speed up to see the purveyor

of this, in my case,

truthful claim,

expecting a Duck Dynasty

character in camo jacket

and traffic-cone-colored beanie

but, instead,

find a young guy

in a vibrant silk button-up

which I quickly assess

isn’t a Reyn Spooner

or Tommy Bahama.

Maybe a Coogi relic from the 90s.

 

When he notices me,

I smile in a way

that is meant to communicate

but likely does not

that even if this isn’t his truck

and he also sucks

at catching striper, he is good

at catching people.

 

He nods

and releases me back onto the Schuylkill.

---

John Wojtowicz grew up working on his family’s azalea and rhododendron nursery and still lives in the backwoods of what Ginsberg dubbed “nowhere Zen New Jersey.” Currently, he teaches social work at Rowan College South Jersey. Recent or forthcoming publications include: Rattle, New Ohio Review, Sonora Review, and The Ekphrastic Review. He is the author of the chapbook, Roadside Attractions: a Poetic Guide to American Oddities. Find out more at: www.johnwojtowicz.com.