I’m not Catholicism’s Friday fish

[joel]

I’m not Catholicism’s Friday fish,
the flaky flesh that isn’t meat for those
confused who’d vegetarian espouse
to be. It’s not to judge, but still
I need to clarify my humanness
with you— as much as you adore beliefs
that you my friend might be, the fact remains
I’m but your chaplain; all that us sustains
is patience on my part to bear your grieves
with ignorance to how enslaved our wills
must be to sin. In death a fish allows
its flesh to be denied; and I suppose
a death as this with you is true my wish.