Fishing With Dad
Florida Everglades Wind by Mark Mazzarella
Trolling over the deep backwaters of the Everglades,
turtles snapped and alligators sunned on banks, still as statues.
The lush landscape was quiet except for the occasional
splash of a wading bird searching for its breakfast.
As morning sun ascended, light beamed almost as bright
as Dad’s face in anticipation. Heat rose from liquid sky,
melting our reflections in widening circular ripples
on the surface of black waters brimming with life.
Near the edge of swaying sawgrass, I cast my line slicing
the canal in two, and Dad did the same by the far bank.
The largemouth bass of his dreams swam beneath us as we
drifted westward and farther from civilization.
Eventually, we would reach his favorite spot where
the waterway forked at a mahogany tree that towered
over the sabal palm, strangler figs, and cypress.
Here, he was happier to help me reel one in, always
encouraging me to get the fish in the boat myself.
Here, he caught and released more than I could count.
Here, I honored his request and scattered his ashes
to the warm wind with a prayer, many tears, and many memories.
Written 7/3/20
Contest - In Loving Memory
Sponsor - Regina Riddle
Copyright © Rhonda Johnson-Saunders | Year Posted 2020
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