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You NEVER can catch one that's SIMPLY just right; Some are too small;
Others too big; too feisty, too… something. Gotta THROW some back!
Oh, and the ones over there are so attractive!
The fish are always better on the other side of the lake.

Maybe that one, from the other side,
won't bite the hand that takes the hook from its mouth.
Maybe that one will taste better.
It sure does look prettier… than the one I already hooked.

See how it swims AWAY and seems to dance,
proudly taunting me with its glistening skin?
It’s as if it knows I’m watching; fishing.
Well… It’s not THE ONLY fish in the lake!

But… you know, that one won’t appreciate
the effort I took to hook it any more than

{the ONE I’ve already got.}

After all, a fish in the bucket is WORTH two in the pond.
And… really, it’s not about the size of the rod, how fancy the boat;
or even about the bait. And… it’s not about CATCHING the fish,
it’s about…
fishing.

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This poem/story and related concepts are copyright © Jeff Mason 2003, and may not be reproduced in part or in whole without the author's express permission.