Another Story

[Jimbo]

I've written a few memoirish, coming of age stories about fishing along with some fiction and poetry. I had this one published in the monthly CC Times Poetry contest. I found an old copy of the Canterbury Tales in my folks' basement and thought, hey, Chaucer forgot to write an Angler's Tale. So, and limited to 35 lines, I wrote it.

Prologue to the Angler’s Tale
Our Host checked his hourglass, glanced to the west, the gold orb was setting, for time they were pressed.
“Pray quick with your yarn you old fisher of men, regale us to wit for this day’s nigh at end.”

The Angler’s Tale
One day in the harbor ‘twas a tug on my net.
‘Til then I’d caught nothing, but was anxious to get

Whatever I’d snared o’er the side; in the hold.
I struggled a might being less young than was old.

I cursed, “Fie on thee ya’ scaly, finned brute,
You’ll not escape from this gray bearded coot.”

And struggle we did forth and back for a while.
‘Til o’er the gunnel I pulled in Herculean style.

I thought, are ya’ dreamin’? when I saw on the deck
Floppin’ ‘round, closed my eyes and then opened to check.

From her waist to where her feet shoulda’ been was a fish’s tail of a silvery sheen.
And the top half of her body bade the features of a beauteous maid.

Struck dumb was I, quite unable to speak, but she commenced in a loud, high-pitch squeak,

“My father, Poseidon, is waiting for me to return from my journ to the top of the ocean.
In lieu of my freedom one wish I will grant. State thy desire, quick, quick what’s thy notion?”

“Mer-woman,” ‘gan I, “I’ve just been a-thinking,
The wish you shall grant,” I eyed her and winking,

“Is that you join this old angler in a wedded bliss.”
She asked, “To be sure, wed another ‘ll be the end of this?”

I nodded confirming my nuptial pact.
The mermaid just smiled and winked at her tact.

“Oh fisherman today you’ve just met your match.
A scheme to woo me, ye’ thought to unhatch.

The offer I made let me back ‘neath the sea,
By deceit you’d have made a kept wife of me.

But your words, which were not well thought or well said,
The wish I have granted includes not me, instead,

Since you only expressed want for someone to wed
Ashore find an espoused old wench in your bed.”

The old angler then turned to the traveling group
He sighed, sadly smirked and said to the troupe,

“The lesson I learned and the end of that day,
Don’t trifle with mermaids you catch in the bay.”