God Bless the Bottom Feeders by Melanie Cole

A poem about love, community, and faith as showcased through the writing lens of Melanie Cole.

Photo by Kristina Volgenau on Unsplash

Melanie Cole is a writer and poet from Tacoma, Washington. She has a wide array in her portfolio ranging from investigative nonfiction to free form poetry. Melanie has been published in Grit City Magazine, The Mighty, and the Memoirist. In March, her chapbook, Ocean Songs was released. Melanie also runs her own literary journal called The Faoileánach Journal.

Today’s featured piece is God Bless The Bottom Feeders. Melanie wrote this one this year, and it’s also part of a poetry collection she just released. You can find and order it here. Also Melanie has a Substack as well, so if you want to support her there, here’s the link.

Let’s dive into our Friday showcase!

Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash

God Bless The Bottom Feeders

Someone told me that eating bottom feeders is a sin
But I grew up with the Holy Trinity– onions, green bell peppers, and celery
Our church wasn’t through those doors, but in the kitchen
Hot sweat rolling down our necks like holy water, “Praise be!”

Someone told me that eating bottom feeders is a sin
But they ain’t never met a shrimpin’ man and the boat that provides for his kin
Or a workin’ noodler, sticking his hands into muddy holes
Hoping to God that a snake doesn’t bite back, singin’ “Praise be!”

Someone told me that eating bottom feeders is a sin
But I take it very seriously when I stir the crawfish in their giant pot
Knowing I’m cooking them just right, so their meat is juicy and tender
And that pot is used in the family for years and years, ”Praise be!”

Someone told me that eating bottom feeders is a sin
So I went to the church and I asked the priest, and he pointed to the Bible
And He said, “I’ll tell you a secret.” He said, “Baby! We all bottom feeders.”
“We wrap ourselves around each other like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and we make love and oh Lord do we pray and do we sing! Praise be!”

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Below are some insights from Melanie Cole

What were some of your inspirations when writing this piece?

God Bless the Bottom Feeders was inspired by my connection to Louisiana and the time I spent living in New Orleans. I had always wanted to write poetry about New Orleans and this just struck me one rainy Sunday.

Is there anything you hope the reader will take away from it?

I really hope you take away a sense of Louisiana culture. I saw the potatoes thing and thought… I literally just wrote a line about potatoes. But I hope the culture of the Gulf Coast is depicted well enough, even though the poem is short.

Do you have any additional thoughts you'd like to share about this piece?

Not much— I don’t like to give away too much about my pieces. They’re all so different! I like them to be left up to interpretation by my readers.

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Though this poem does take on the human condition, it has a lighter tone— which is sometimes what we need. Melanie paints a beautiful and compelling picture, discussing what exactly it means to exist. To enjoy things, whether it be food, culture, or anything else.

And though I’m not a religious person, I agree with the message of the poem. "We’re all bottom feeders.” Basically, everyone does things which may be a sin in the eyes of the lord. But doesn’t mean you’re going to end up anywhere bad.

This piece is also a fun, lyrical look into the culture of Lousiana, with it’s songlike flow. There’s a coming of togetherness, fun, and frenzy, and I think many of you will enjoy this piece, too.

Thanks for letting us feature your work, Melanie!

What are your thoughts on this piece? Let us know in the comments below.

Do you have a short story or poem for us to showcase?