One for my fishin' buddies...

I was out on the lake with Jimmy and Buck
We were casting our lines and trying our luck
But my luck was naught, as soon you will see
As I tell the tale of Buck, Jimmy, and me

My two companions were doing quite well
Bass, spot and catfish were biting like hell
I, on the other hand, had no such skill
Feeling inept as young fishermen will

My uncle Jimmy would come to my aide
And lend me the lure that his granddaddy made
He opened the box that held his best gear
And pulled out the lure that he held so dear

From deep in the bowels of his hallowed stash
He pulled out the lure that no other could match
It sat deep in the bottom, in a hard plastic case
He lifted it gently from its own special place

I told him quickly with some reservation
That I honestly feared my skill’s limitations
Jimmy was fearless and waved off my whines
As he secured the lure to the end of my line

I mustered my courage and drew back my rod
Then cast strong and true , as they each gave a nod
No fairer cast had ever been flung
As if to its praise, the reel gently sung

It sailed on the air, soft sweet, and true
And landed just where I’d wanted it to
And just as it plopped on the face of the lake
The biggest bass ever went for the bait

With mouth widely opened, the bass took the prize
Bestowing pure pride in my Uncle Jim’s eyes
Buck gasped in wonder with sheer disbelief
While I regained color and sighed with relief

But all of a sudden, it all went awry
When out of the water the bass started to fly
A flick of his tail broke the line in mid air
He spit the lure, we never knew where

You never heard silence like I heard it then
I began to wonder if I’d escape with my skin
Buck just lay laughing at the back of the boat
As I felt the grip of Jim’s hands on my throat



Lavender Leigh
January 18, 2004