Seil Chat

Fishing.

The children, giddy in setting off,
Scan the tide for mackerel rises.

The man shuts off the engine and drops the line.
In a moment, the rod shudders and the boy,
Speechless with anticipation, begins to wind
Home the darting line.

Four fish break the surface and swing over the gunwale,
And the man shows how to dispatch them. The line returns
To the sea and the girl soon reels in five more.
We unhook the small ones and let them go, but soon have enough,
And the boat turns ‘round and heads in to the pier.

The family heads home, the dog shaking sea from its seal-slick coat.

The setting sun catches wisps of high cloud
As we head back up the sound to the mooring below
The bridge’s semi-circle, doubled in reflection;
A silent mouth; a perfect O,
Or patiently observing eye.

Sounds like a very familiar story indeed, reminds me of countless times spent fishing...a patient eye, eh? Haven't made that connection before!

Another grand contribution to the arts forum P. Lovely poetic/artistic descriptions, particularly of the bridge. Could make an interesting (if dalí-esque) painting. Perhaps observing the saltire with its bent flag pole on the hill.

Ah, another connection. (The man in the poem and the flag-putter-upper being the same.)

That makes the poem all the more visual again having a picture of one of the characters. Was wondering if he'd been up the hill to fix the flag pole yet?