Dreaming of the Fleet

This was one of those iconic Menemsha moments.
I had been sitting on the dock with my sketchbook and camera
just watching the two or three fishermen who were lazily casting off of the pier.
There were some very big and fancy boats in the harbor
and the tired old Strider looked a bit sad to watchfrom her moorings
as they passed on their way out to the big water.

A young boy joined the anglers
and I noticed he was angling his own self
for a seemingly coveted position at the very end of the dock.
They all quietly checked out each other’s progress
with eyes only for the twitch of a line.
No one caught anything while I was there
but the peaceful rhythm of the tossing of their line
s was calming while I studied the scene.

Back home in my winter studio
I zoomed in on one of the photographs
and saw the Derby pins on the boy’s hat.
So it had been serious business out there
with more than a little bit of competition.

I decided to give him an edge
and painted out the other wannabees
so he had the dock and the waters all to himself.

And I decided to do the same for the old boats.

And in spirit
I’m floating alongside the gull
and In my wildest dreams…
I’ve got a contender on the hook.