Mayweed and Pennycress

The crappies were spawning underneath the aqueduct span, airbladders bloated with brine and silt. The dogmen had little patience for bottom-feeders, preferring river cod and quim. The man in the hat’s granddad was fond of whore’s crumpets and salt crappie. He made whore’s crumpets sandwiches, spooling the oily fish between equal halves of crumpet and mustard. He liked a cup of O’ Callahan’s with his whore’s crumpet sandwich, a bitter spirit made from mayweed and pennycress. The alms man liked crappie cakes and marmalade, raspberries and crowberries. Dejesus sniggled for electric eels behind the pier behind the aqueduct. He used a safety-pin attached to baling wire, threading worms and roe onto the barbs. He could sniggle for hours on end, the sun flaying the tops of his hands, sweat doling in the cups of his eyes.