Tuesday, July 25, 2017

That Reminds Me of a Story...


We caught fish.
More than that,
We made stories.

Stories that we’ve told over and over.
Stories that make us laugh with every telling.
Stories we will continue to tell, over and over,
As long as we’re here to tell them.
Stories that will keep you with us forever,
Now that you’re gone.

Some true.
Some with a kernel of truth.
Some we’ve made true in the telling.
It’s hard to remember which are which any more,
As if it really mattered.

We gathered together tonight and told them again.
Set aside the vises, the hooks and the feathers,
And, instead, tipped a glass or two.
Told the stories one more time.
Laughed with you as if you were here,
When, in truth, you were.
In the stories.

It may have started with fish,
But not a single tale tells of the catch.
They tell of falling overboard,
Of getting shit-faced,
Of putting our foot in our mouths at the worst of times.
They tell of broken rods, bent transoms, and anchors tossed overboard unattached.
Too many are poop or fart stories, I'm embarrassed to say.
Funny at six and at sixty. Boys will always be boys.
They make us laugh at our ourselves and we deserve it.
No one is spared,
For they are our stories,
Yours and ours.

Yes, we caught fish.
More than that,
Much more than that,
We made stories.

5 comments:

Mary said...

A lovely tribute, Mike. It is good that there are those who hang around to tell stories of friends and fisherman.
Live Free ...

CARF said...

Very nice, Mike. I really enjoyed that. It's like you're not really chasing fish, you're out there after your next best story.

Mike Sepelak said...

Amen to that, Mary.

Exactly, Justin. The chase is the framework upon which you build what's really important and lasting.

Feather Chucker said...

Great tribute Mike. I'll miss Ed. He was one of the good ones.

Mike Sepelak said...

He was indeed, Kevin. And this piece is about not just him, but all those that forge brotherhoods spanning years. There's family and there's lifelong fishing buddies. Both precious beyond words.