Peter Fish Highjack's Humor

By Jack Joseph Smith

Peter Fish Highjack's Humor - The flight was nice A shimmering sun” And the-ladies were good on the aisle PeterrFish gazed‘over -the impressions in the«clouds> They had the-fragile support! of “a suburban altar -boys:rendition of Heaven, : while Peter-Fish sipped ‘his scotch as a cherul: in twe: Peter’Fish had just'seen the mod haired silk money christ: walk Lake-Shore Drivecon:the-olive liquid bobs of a thousand martinies: Presently the-Ohicagoe cards:had Peter-Fish menuing out: lear. Béverly Hills tongues: ona Warhol sandwich And shipping the Hollywood Hille sign +o where it belongssin Dallas; Texas: Béred to the brow with thoughtsson the heavy equipmenti biddes PeterrFish'took his mini sound system JZ from:his custom:suit pocket over-his hearts “Listen! People of the planes Attentioné A report: defying Kansas City, Kansas control. A milk white - beauty--queen has-been found praying over: Black Hills Indiamgravessin a language-stranger than Omen Latinsees JessyvJemes4s=real bones shave just been arrested® . in the New York City subways Jeessy'ssbones: were-leading: i arherd of wild horees-to a waterhole at! Fifth and Fortysecond Street, af Jessy'ssskull wasn't ceuimmicating: teocwell, until’a plasticceurgeom wired'inra radio mouth with the-assistance-of an electronicaswizard. Jessy then explained the bulk bagzof scientifically shiny blue pillss i slungzoverr the shoulder~bladés of hid bonessee i Awhile back Jessy's “horses ~had ‘evidently demanded the pills for continual nourishment the day they had} refused! +o assist: Jessy--im-eticking up an Art. Linkletterr tourist buses é Fran: Hollywood! Asked 'why-he wasn't studying film techniques, a Willy-Sutton announced that his sudder resurrectiom had “him -into:dentistry due to the-nitro-glycerin capped teeth fad! 4 spreading::through the-Italiem banking:crowds se ; ; Incidently, the weather bureau in:Boise; Idaho -has- just reported” 2 anrabundance of energy from sea to shinings¢a. ; Establishing -that‘the Atlanticcand the -Pacificcare-massive; : this-discovery must be considered ‘dangerous}* . a (Apprehended ‘for metaphor: at’ the LossAngelees International} # Peter-Fish realized’ that -he-had* overlooked! forcing. thee pilot = to fuel up féreverrforzFact: City; UsSeAs) Wherecthey would not‘ have: a: légz to stand’ om

Original Scan

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AI Interpretation

GPT

A comic hijacking fantasy in which Peter Fish, a scotch-sipping airline passenger, broadcasts a surreal news bulletin about Jesse James's bones in the New York subway, a beauty queen praying over Indian graves, and Willy Sutton's resurrection into dentistry — before being apprehended for metaphor at Los Angeles International.

Claude

Peter Fish hijacks not a plane but the poem itself — his mini sound system broadcast is a manic collage of Jesse James's bones leading wild horses through the subway, Willy Sutton resurrected into dentistry, and a beauty queen praying in Omen Latin over Black Hills graves. The joke is that he is 'apprehended for metaphor at the Los Angeles International,' which is both punchline and indictment: in America, the only crime worse than hijacking is making the connections between its myths out loud. The poem's comedy is its seriousness in disguise — every absurd bulletin names a real American wound.