Upon The Water's Edge

Upon The Water’s Edge

Over the Susquehanna

Fly Fishing the Yellow Breeches

Fishing for Bass on the Juniata

This Perfect Place

Skinny Dipping the Colorado

Upon The Water’s Edge
Stepping carefully among the heather,
Soft dampness beneath my feet,
The blue sky overhead emblazoned,
Cloudy yet clear.

A rock amidst fragile sprigs,
Shoots, green and grayish brown,
Water lapping in rhythm,
Gently shaping stone.

This boggy feel of spongy moss,
Atop firm soil centuries old,
The narrow path through brush,
Majestic oak sentry.

The sweet smell of sassafras,
Mixes in the mountain air,
This small garden opening,
Upon the water’s edge.

Over the Susquehanna
Woman driving on the Harvey Taylor Bridge,
A faded red four door sedan,
Aged and used still running,
An older Black man alongside her,
Graying hair and scruffed beard,
Two small children safely buckled,
Chattering as small children do,
Driving into Harrisburg City,
Over the Susquehanna River,
Torrents sublimely majestically flow,
To places beyond and below,
The Harvey Taylor Bridge.

Fly Fishing the Yellow Breeches
Rippling currents of the Yellow Breeches,
Fisherman’s hand tied horse hair fly,
A slow drawn out cast,
Perfectly onto a secluded pool,
Landing naturally on the glassy surface,
A dimple in the water alerting hungry trout,
The ravenous Rainbow Trout waiting silently below,
Eons of instinct responding to their next meal,
Tail and fins propelling upward toward the prey,
A silver-pink slap/splash on the surface,
As open jaws ferociously snatch they fly,
The hunter rolls descending to the depths,
The hook set, fighting a force it cannot see,
Rocketing upward out of the water,
With a force borne of something wild,
Determined to escape the captive line,
A brief struggle then fatigue,
Reeled within reach of the fisherman’s net,
A last effort to free itself, struggling,
The fisherman removes the hook,
Admiring the radiant colors of the trout,
Gently returning the trophy into running water,
The trout speeds off,
As the fisherman imagines a pan fried dinner,
With a cold beer.

Fishing for Bass on the Juniata
The cold flowing Juniata River,
A great river for bass,
Where hellgrammites make the best bait,
The larvae of the Dobsonfly,
Found by turning over stones in shallow running water,
A net between two poles to catch them,
Scoop them up into a bait container,
Any size will do,
Scan the river for a protected pool,
Bait your hook and drop your line,
When a bass hits, keep your rod up,
Reel the bass in finally pulling it into the boat,
Unhook, take a look, then release back into the water,
You’ll catch him another day,
A bit bigger and stronger than today,
Just make sure to use hellgrammites for bait.

This Perfect Place
This perfect place
Upon the sea,
Rock, wind and waves
Eternally.

Pacific winds blowing
From the West,
So gently strong
Manifest.

The eons passing
Ageless in time,
Rock, wind and waves
Forever sublime.

The sea beginning
Where land ends,
Divine creation -
No doubt transcends.

This perfect place
Upon the sea,Rock, wind and waves
Eternally.

Skinny Dipping in the Colorado River
Midnight sky in Moab,
Shimmering stars clustered against the blackness of space,
Viewed from the Colorado’s murky waters,
Coursing through an eons etched canyon,
Perfect for skinny dipping,
To wash away the heat and dust,
After a hot day’s work,
As a hard hat roughneck,
Drilling air ducts to bring fresh air,
And evacuate exhaust,
From subterranean depths,
Where miners ply their craft,
Extracting uranium ore,
To power plants,
To power cities, towns, homes and farms,
Shimmering like clustered stars across the land

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse

Upon The Water's Edge

Contents