poem post #2

ghetto creek

I spot him
over by the culvert
big bad slab of a brown
he’s tucked behind an old car battery
just holding
waiting for the next kill
a meat-eater for sure
he didn’t get that way
sipping PMDs
I reach for the box,
grab something big
something nasty
I tie it on then cast for the
weeds upstream of him
I start counting
my eyes narrow to slits against the glare
and the fly comes into view, slowly sinking
I start stripping line
I snap my wrist
the rod tip flexes
the fly darts sharply,
headed for the brown
soon as he spots it, this thing’s full-on
he charges and I see his mouth flash white
I hit him, feel the weight
he wriggles
I hit him again, this time
really feeling the weight
the rod doubles over
there’s still a little pile of line at my feet
but it doesn’t last long
the brown shoots off upstream,
taking line with him
the reel starts screaming
I palm the thing till the heat gets to be too much
I let him run a little
and settle in for the long battle
he runs
I reel
he’s a good twenty yards out ahead of me
so turning him is no small task
but the current’s on my side
and, eventually, I manage to work him in close
he flashes and I get a good look at him
he’s a hog alright
I start thinking, if I land him,
he’s going on the wall
it’s a dangerous thought
I try to clear my head and focus
on the task at hand
he makes another run, peels more line
I work him back to me
I can tell he’s losing steam
(he’s not the only one)
then he does this weird little move
the line goes slack then tightens with a snap
it sends out a little spray of water
the line throbs and veers off to my right
he’s headed for some trash midstream
a tangled mess of rusted metal
I try to turn him but he’s too quick for me
my leader meets the metal and
everything goes slack for good
I reel up the mess, flip off Mr. Big Stuff
I turn my back, start slogging for the truck
first shift will be starting any minute now
and I’m late for work as is

::

© 2009, Curt Alderson. All rights reserved in accordance with the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.