I love fishing hard
Through hours
Starting early
To see a whole tide
The casting into the wind
The two foot chop
The hard won fish
Today none came to hand but I saw a wall of fog come over me with the wind
And the mountains across the bay only showed themselves once the water had passed
The bite was sparse and cautious
Except the one who bit my lure clean off
And the second one who took the shiny shrimp
Walking back uphill, a mile or more
With a good friend to drive home with
And the promise of a warm shower
I love the overcast days
The grey of the sky and the grey of the sound
The beds of oysters
Cobbly stones
Trees in the water
Bowing to their fate
And washing out past the current like a river against the shore
The jingle of a dog's collar
The wet of my jacket
My fingers pruning up
My hat's brim blowing around
Then the slack came and the waves were lessened and there was one last bite before we were done
Windburnt and sore
The body feels the tired deep into the bones
The heat coming back from the shower
The heavy sleepiness comes with the warm air
The memory stays
The green mountains
The tall firs
The Kingfisher's chatter
The incoming tide
Until the dreams come....