I went fishing today
In the ocean of my mind
I had not been on that journey in a while
Wasn’t even sure I’d remember how
With all the baiting and the casting and the waiting
Didn’t know if I had the patience
Or quite honestly, the desire
And yet I went…
Hopeful…
The whole trip was a mere twenty minutes
But what a full twenty minutes it was
I’d barely baited my hook when the first fish just up and leapt into my boat
Causing me to laugh and remember just how much I enjoyed fishing
I cast out, as far from my body as possible, and before I could sit,
I had a bite
I reeled it in, putting pen to paper
Careful not to scare it away or cause it harm
I decided to try casting a net next
Hoping not to jinx my early good fortune
Lo and behold…
My catch was tremendous!
I emptied that net and recast over and over
Smiling and writing until I’d fished every inch of that ocean
Occasionally jumping from the boat
and diving to the deepest depths
For that’s where the more colorful, more rare fish are
And when the twenty minutes came to an end
I packed my supplies
Took a deep breath
And I thanked the ocean and the net
But mostly I thanked the fish
For they reminded me to remember,
To try,
To laugh,
To search,
To dive
To wait,
And to fish more often
Tori Burris Inkley
3/27/21
Tori Dreamer 