We sat in quiet contemplation
By the fishing pond
Cementing ever stronger
An easy lifelong bond.
Eating bacon cobs upon
A near-by wooden bench
I had caught two mirror carp
My dad had caught two tench.
The sun shone on those honeyed days
(Or maybe that’s my myth)
There’s no-one else on God’s good Earth
I’d rather have been with.
Now he’s slipped beyond my reach
Through Heaven’s one-way door
What would I give if I could live
Those wondrous days once more.
JC-trust you to come up with a rod for our backs - in the nicest way, of course!. I have my own memories of fishing the local
stream for trout in my boyhood village of Box in Wiltshire and
later exploring the Wiltshire/Somerset River Avon for perch.
Happy days.
Thankyou for your kind thoughts, Stephen G and Russell.
Perfection in every sense, John. You have struck gold with this one.
captured the moment superbly
Thankyou, Ray and Manish for the Like. The saddest thing for me is that I am The Last of the Pecheurs, with no sons or grandchildren to bore with fishing.
This is one of those poems that make us all feel good and has those ingredients we so often seek that can end up in cul de sacs but this is a delightful bubble of that spirit of adventure and comfort. Well done for lifting the spirits John!
Ray
I remember him saying things like
‘Go and sit next to Jack, he’ll show you how to change your float’ or else
‘Sit still there’s a vole near your feet’
The gravel pits where we used to fish is now a country park, far too busy for fishing.
Thankyou, John, Graham, Tom, Stephen, and Kevin for your thoughts. And Helene and Greg for the Likes. Fellow maggot drowners will recognise the pic is neither a carp nor a tench (both fighting fish) but a submissive bream.
Nice one John.
I'd have loved to have had just one day like that.
Beautifully written, John. 🌈
I love this one, John.
Halcyon days, weren’t they just!
Beautifully heartfelt, John. Your ‘myth’ is key to continuing to enjoy those moments.
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John Coopey
Mon 10th Jul 2023 14:42
Thanks for your thoughts, MC.