The Fisherman at Sunrise

Written at sunrise on Edisto Beach.

July 2023

Though not seen, I hear you.

Your sled dragging the sand.

Awakened at first light,

You come to cast your line.

Your worn gear is not new,

Your hunt is strictly planned.

Awaiting the first bite,

You sit back and recline.

Though you cast it anew,

Stiff-backed your old pole stands.

A wish, a prayer, a plight.

You seek favor from thine.

Though he does not have to,

Your god placed in remand,

A wig’ling fish to fight,

You pull, bending the spline.

Now Reel!

Reel with great haste,

You must win at this race.

He has taken your bait,

Now you must seal his fate.

What you came here to do,

He is giving to you.

So Reel!

Reel, my friend,

As we all comprehend,

That this moment in time

Needs not story or rhyme.

It’s a battle of old,

And you mustn’t now fold.

Keep Reeling! Reeling with gusto.

He is yours, this he must know.

The rod is bending,

This fight seems unending.

The spool gives a shriek,

This fish is not meek.

Reel! “Reel!” I yell.

Though on silent lips fell.

You dig in your heels,

Now grunting with peals.

As you go toe to toe,

And you put on a show.

Real! This is all that is real.

In war finely you feel.

You have waited so long,

Now finish your song.

The final act is here,

The curtain draws near.

So Reel! Prove your worth!

Dismantle his mirth!

You scream, “He is mine!”

With the jerk of your spine.

You think all is well,

As he comes up the swell.

Reeling! Now you are reeling.

Back and forth, nearly keeling.

But you will not give in,

You can still see his fin.

“He belongs in a tin,

Fish must bow to men.

As I cut him up thin,

I will tell all my kin,

Of the battle herein,

And where I have been.”

Reeling! Reeling inside,

To your god you deride.

If you lose it’s a sin,

An eternal chagrin.

Now your patience wears thin,

He is under your skin.

As you pray once again,

“Let me pull him in!”

Reeling! Now reeling with sweat,

You feel sudden threat.

The fish leaps with a grin,

He will not let you win.

Now the reel will not spin,

As you battle within,

And then…

Snap! He is gone with the break of the line.

Now what will you say unto thine?

Copyright © 2023 by Travis Teague