The men pull steelhead
from this water, long as my arm
and I wonder where they find them
in all this shallowness.
I fished, once, licensed
and ankle deep
in morning on the edge
of Rainbow Lake,
hooking one small trout
I fought only to throw back,
so that once didn’t give me
a white whale metonym
to throw rage after
or call brother, even.
My fish stories
are minnow small
and flashed, fast
as the odonata skimming the still spots
of this creek
catching nothing
except peace
Susan Daniels Poetry 
Nice one.
Thank you!
small me Ishmael
Hee, hee. Or Santiago, if you want to go Hemingway style…
This is marvellous. My husband fishes and often comes home full of stories of the big ones that got away. However he always finds peace and beauty by the lakes x
Oh, thank you! I love hanging out on the creek bank, with my notebook. I catch a lot of poetry that way 😉
Beautiful writing Susan!
Thank you so much, HAF!
Beautiful poem, and I learned some new words beside!
Odonata,
metonym for love
of past summers
love lost
love returned
but only for
a fleeting
moment
Oh, now this is gorgeous!
aw – i think peace is a pretty good catch…smiles… never went fishing…maybe it would be a good patience training… think i should try one day…smiles
I agree–catching peace is a worthwhile activity. I just did it the once 😉
loved this… 🙂
Thank you, Robert!
Yeah! Much better than snagging a fish.
I agree–even though the one I caught I threw back, I’d rather just sit by the bank and enjoy it.
i have fished a bit in my day…catch or no catch there is a peace that comes just being by the water, listening to it and all the life that finds it….
Oh, I so agree, Brian. That’s the best part–it is centering, to be near water–catch or not.
Yes- I always feel I’d like to fish just to walk around in streams – you’ve caught that wonderful feeling of casting off. k.
Thank you, Karin! I was just now admiring your picture of the elephant and the octopi. I want to see those colors.
Ha. Thanks. That one is actually from my counting book 1 Mississippi and is made with true watercolors, not digital. (Gouache really but it’s the same as watercolor.) k.
Love it, and your style of illustration. I live with an aspiring illustrator who just turned 13. Sigh. I am so jealous–wish I could draw more than stick figures and flowers.
‘Catching Nothing but Peace’ Love those words…
Thanks, Katie!
Love those fish stories and really enjoyed this, Susan!
Thank you, Laurie!
I specially like the ending, catching peace is still a good catch ~
Thanks, Grace. I think it far more profitable of my time to catch peace and leave the fish for others. 😉
and I wonder where they find them
in all this shallowness.
i wonder the same thing *smiles*
and i loved your poem::::peace::::
Thank you! Yes–I see them walking up the bank with these GIANT fish, and I know how deep that water is… Laughing.
So good. I’m the same type of fisherwoman and my history has been to go a block over to the Truckee and just enjoy being there, know the trout are in too much of a hurry to get to Pyramid Lake to take the bait. But there is a certain peace in it. It’s been a while, though.
Oh, I do like sitting by the water, though 😉
A fish story to catch peace sounds like the best kind of fish story to me, Susan!
Thanks, Mary–I agree that peace is a fine thing to catch.
lovely, catching peace 🙂
Thanks, Ray 😉
Lovely.. finding peace paves the way to tranquility.
Oh, it truly does.
what fun, Susan – nothing like sitting next to a creek – fishing or writing – K
Karin–I have written some of my best lines on that creek bank.
the visual with the first fish coming out is a stunning opening. great poem start to finish, Susan. You bring to mind size with importance… or the inverse of it!
Jane, thank you–you are too kind, as always!
you’ve caught it exactly sfam…whether fishing or catching….the peace is the thing. love!
Aw, thank you!
Reblogged this on wordsthatetch and commented:
love the theme of this poem
Great piece, it reads much easier than it is– and I love the 3rd stanza- a knockout! ~peace, Jason
Jason, thank you!
also a great fan of the 3rd stanza… amazing, Susan
Oh my, thank you!
Peace. What a great thing to catch!
Thanks, Georgia. I agree. I still have no idea how long peace is, or how heavy. Changes every time I tell the story 😉
Such and incredible freestyle poetic writing.
Fresh and uniquely wondrous. 🙂
oh! before I forget please check out my new blog poem:
http://charliezero1.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/my-conspiracy-to-create-an-anti-hamburger-isnt-all-that-clever-even-andy-warhol-became-anti-was/
I promise you that once you read it, you will trip out on your own dreams. 🙂
Thanks, Charlie–heading over to your place now.