A Day at The Klickitat River

By Nicolas Rodriguez-Burdeaux

I wake up hours before

Dawn just to feel that

Rush of a bite

Not a spider, nor bear

But of a shiny silver

Marvelous salmon

The first cast of the

Day lands a little short

But no matter, there's time

Second cast, perfect

It lands right on the

Edge of the current

This, I thought this

Is the one where I get

The rush im hunting

I watch the bobber

Drift slowly until I

Feel and see It

The feeling of the rod

Tip forcing its way down

At the will of the salmon

Many thoughts run through my head

Will the rod Break? Or maybe the line?

But these are just worries greatly outweighed by the positive thoughts

I reel as hard as I can while the fish

Does the opposite, it is a battle of

The species, the feeling I search for

Finally, I draw the fish close enough to

Reach with the net, and once in the net me

And the fish connect

I bring it up to hold, first wetting my

Hands to preserve its elegant scales

I cannot harm this being, I contemplate,

I must release it to continue

Its lifelong journey to its original home

To reunite its first memories

I give it one last goodbye

I then traverse my way

Down to the bubbling river

I dip its head down in the water

First as if it is being baptised

And let it regain energy

It starts to tug so I release

The beauty and wish it luck

On its long, hard journey.