Today’s submission is to 3ww. The three words for this week are Dangle, Labor, and Neatly. I thought I would have a little fun with the prompt and tie it in with my fly fishing!
The shimmering fly dangled from a perfect loop knot,
neatly displaying a “woolly bugger”, finally
after my frozen fingers fumbled, dropping
the hook to the bottom of the boat,
fishing line spiraling into a knot – patience
allowed me, systematically to
intersect the lines over and under, untangling
the tangled mess.
Preparing to cast – I held my breath
checking off a tedious list of instructions, memorized in my head –
don’t break your wrist
10 o’clock -2 o’clock or 2 o’clock -10 o’clock?
accelerate-Stop!
I watched as my line –midair- came to a stop and collapsed, lazily
across the lake, like a cobra – uncoiling – PLOP!
suddenly a Splash!
Circles of rings formed on top of the water,
my rod arched against his tug
I pulled up,
setting the hook in his mouth,
he didn’t care, how
imperfect my cast – still
I coaxed him to feed on
marabou fibers and iridescent peacock feathered hackles.
More lists floated through my mind –
don’t horse him
rod tip down when he jumps
reel in FAST if he swims towards the boat
the line screamed as he took it, I let him have his way
he was big and experienced – more experienced than me
my feet, heavy like cement, balanced my body in the boat
my hands held the rod up, watching him – feeling him
His aerial displays, like fireworks on the 1st of July
felt like a dance between us, him taking the lead
me, now becoming laboured, my arms
tired from our dance, felt a slack
in the line – he swam fast, towards the me
No! reeling fast, faster, faster – it was useless
I saw him against the boat, his magnificence
his experience – disappearing beneath me
goodbye, my friend.
