Piscesean Spring

Silence slipped past blade of the paddle

slicing the stillness of morning waters,

smooth and tranquil, glistening wet,

dripping the dazzle of a trillion diamonds cast

by the whimsy of the surreal mountain sunrise.

His patient tones beckoned boarding

with careful instruction, lovingly delivered.  

Ripples from our silent craft lapped hungrily at the shore

gliding in tune to the trance of lake’s lure and 

peanut butter and jelly breakfast,

as shadows overlaid the shallow shoals and catch promises

beneath the swimmer-less docks of Spring.

Bamboo arched over his shoulder in deliverance

of open bailed lessons, the snap and whir

as finger pointed in release to bubbling targets close to shore.

Elusive pisces temptation in red-headed chartreuse

sinking just enough and wiggling below the surface

in tune to his deftly timed wrist jerks, studiously observed.

Perseverance and practice defined, taught,

thrown and reeled in artful succession

until the trawl-ending surprise

of the catch…

the fight of weighty pole entrusted to me.

First fish, once captured and admired,

shared in unforgettable smiles…

his wish fulfilled and locked in memory.

Large-mouthed, splendidly alive and sizeable,

iridescently scaled in sequined verdigris beauty,

painstakingly unhooked.

Released again into the wild…

another lesson of his astounding love,

the undeniable respect in the way he

observes, pleases, and cossets all things.

His only wish… to be loved equally

and nurtured in return.

We are preseason intruders in this haven…

privileged to the quality and opportunity of time,

enriched by her offerings,  

fallen captives of life’s line, bait and nibble

learning, laughing, investing in the simplicities of life.

We rest entwined in her inviting privacy and promise,

hooked on the allure of human warmth and nature’s bounty,

afloat on dawn’s delight.

Taylor Ryan

April 2007

 

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