the fishermen on the wharf

ten men fishing
on auckland wharf
all with thin fibreglass rods
just that exact distance
(made in china)
all watching each others baits
bobbing in the silver sheen
no one watching his own sinker
bobbing

one twitches down the line
a reel swishes
reeling in
nine men watching intently now

20 cm struggling catch
not much, so back it goes.
a bronze whaler
slinking slowly 
under twenty pairs of dangling feet
decides
the distance was too much
to crunch a man for snack

quietly slinks 
to the opposite shore
where she senses 
feet splashing on a shallow beach.

primitive.

© Marshall Gass. All rights reserved, 3 months ago

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