fishing 5

by joel abel - Taurus

late that night he was fishing 
on the banks of little sand creek 

watching the still water, 
looking for wakes and swirls: 
the tale-tell signs of 
madness that sometimes 
struck catfish during 
nights like these, 
that sometimes led to frenzy. 

3 times in the last hour 
he had seen an ancient carp rise 
up to the outer rim of his lantern's light, 
only to watch it sink back into the water. 

15 minutes ago he saw a 
white and spectral heron 
glide down the creek bed,
as silent and effortless 
as a passing spirit, 
and he looked down 
from it to notice a long moccasin 
bumping thru the reeds,
not twenty feet away. 

this world was speaking to him, 
and so was the other one. 

he was trying to understand 
what she had meant when she folded her arms 
and leaned against the back porch rail to say: 

what exactly are you are fishing for?
Birth sign: Taurus
Date created: 2005-03-11 18:33:10
Last updated: 2021-03-03 14:46:48
Poem ID: 70679

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