Angling

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. - Thoreau

Actual fishing pier (covered gazebo is not visible

behind & to the left & Boston & Logan Airport are in the distance but fogged)

trolling

strolling

rock and rolling

talking to myself with nothing to say

nearly every day

i take a constitutional to the park, down by the water's edge, with a song in my head

a temporary reprieve from the sick city's dread

to remind myself that i'm not dead

there's a gazebo jutting out over the inlet

the planks are worn from the ocean's sweat

sporting the weathered, splintered cracks of life's unpayable debt

guys fish there

drinking and making crude remarks

like two-legged, desperate sharks

there's one guy in a motorized wheelchair with a cup holder for his booze

that way he never has to choose

never has to lose

i sit and watch them bait their hooks

lamenting over what life took

i listen to them talking

squaking

babbling and balking

down to earth and real

a rich but puny deal

causing me to feel

it's easy to get sucked into conversation like a slippery eel

sometimes someone will speak to me or i to them

tossing an occasional, philosophical gem

in between hucking up cigarette phlegm

they go home afterwards to lonely, dusty pictures on shelves

like drunken, limbo-dancing elves

i know that disciples come in six-packs as well as twelves

they're really just angling to catch missing pieces of themselves

Author's Note

"Everyone should believe in something; I believe I'll go fishing." – Thoreau

“Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. I drink at it; but while I drink I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains. I would drink deeper; fish in the sky, whose bottom is pebbly with stars.” - Thoreau

Reviews

[X]

A beautiful piece of Americana Pete...these guys could be sitting at the pier here in Newport Beach then stopping at Billy's after dark cos drowning together is better than alone...and I always see my darling Pebbles in the sky cos she was my star puppy...:) Thank you for sharing another penetrating picture from your life.

[Pete]

thank you for sharing kira. this is real life whether we like it or not. i've actually learned a lot and gained a different perspective on life by listening to and talking with these guys ... :)

[X]

Life is short and there is so much to learn....have a wonder-full weekend Pete...cant wait to read about your new adventures 🌻

[Pete]

indeed, to live is to learn. you have a good weekend too ... :)

[barleygirl]

I love how your vignette gives us a glimpse into your habitat -- what refreshes & revives you from the humdrum of everyday hectic life. The narrator sounds "removed" from it all . . . an aloof bystander . . . it's as if you have a "Thoreau state of mind" in the midst of bustling city madness. Growing up I worked at a lakeside restaurant from the age of 11, starting at 5 am, pouring coffee & slinging hash for the fishermen -- a completely different vibe than the afternoon/evening shift, say, where waterskiiers & partiers infiltrated the scene. There's something set-apart & intriguing about fishermen & you captured it! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Pete]

i dislike cities and city life. give me the countryside anyday. you're correct - i maintain a thoreau-esque state of mind and make the daily trek to the park by the water. i need to see grass, trees, birds, water etc. in order to truly feel alive. the bleak, barren, cold city does nothing for me. i think deep down the fishers feel the same way. you can think in nature, you can't in the hustle & bustle of the artificial city (going nowhere). i love your share - the morning fishermen were deep and real whilst the evening crowd was shallow and frivolous. funny how we get different vibes from things in life but they stick with us and leave their mark. much appreciated. i love how you can relate to my ramblings. it scares me how much you can relate. i often think that i'm an anomaly in feeling as i do about things. good to know that i am not alone ... :)

[D Connolly]

this is so good! I love the story behind it. We're all searching for something, aren't we? It just seems like its right out of reach sometimes, if we even know what we're looking for. But it makes for good conversation and philosophy! Maybe all we need is a little connection to remind us that we ARE alive instead of pondering why. Best to just live in the moment sometimes.

[Pete]

can't argue with anything you've said miss D. you're probably right - it doesn't matter why anyone's there or what is said, all that matters is that we're there together sharing anything ... :)

[John the Baptist]

Not the same situation, but the same spirit as Billy Joel's "Piano Man." They're sharing a trip that's called loneliness, but it's better than drinking alone.

[Pete]

thanks for casting a line j. the b. we're all members of this social club ... :)