Life along the river looms
Blood red, phallic blooms,
White blossoms like tender lips,
Others with milky tips
On French manicured petals painted pink.
Thirsty, lapping, rhythmic waves drink
The banks, covered in rooted greens,
Beautiful, tall, wheat-like weeds.
The river dances under mild summer glows
To a musical breeze, plays lively, then slows.
Vines, bushes, thorns approach my toes at rest,
A tiny invader seeks shade of my breast
Though small; he needed no invitation
To invade. I gladly return a mild flirtation
To glorious Picasso and Onassis,
Silver kisses flash across the surface
Of their leaving me wake,
And the sun begins to take
Notice of my existence,
My skin burns at its insistence.
I stand to leave; sweat trickles
Down my back, my chest, cool tickles.
My mouth inhales the river’s wet
Drops, tongue knows taste of its bed.
Clouds spread a wide exit, as if to say
“To fully treasure this, you cannot stay.”

Want to know where the fish are biting?
Look for the lakes and the rivers
where there aren't as many 'meal tickets'
to be had.

Want to know where the fish are biting?
Look for the ponds and streams
where there aren't already
'stimulating lures.'

Want to know where the fish are biting?
Go where the fish are hungry,
where the fish can't find 'food.'
Offer them some.

Then you will be 'lord of the fish.'
You can keep the ones you want,
Eat the ones you want,
Throw back the ones you don't want.

'Lord of the fish' controls the pond,
controls the rivers and streams,
controls the lakes...
And everything in them.

Some fishermen don't want to be 'lord,'
will fish on the outside,
will ask permission,
will 'buy' or 'trade' something to catch bigger fish.

More ambitious fishermen
don't want to move into,
don't want to share with,
don't want to compete with a 'lord.'

These fishermen will take their 'lures,'
will take their 'food,'
will take their 'meal tickets,'
somewhere they can be 'lord.'

If the 'lord of fish' uses all of his fish,
or refuses to share too many times,
then he will be left
'lord of empty waters.'

A pond and a lake close together
lost extra 'food,' lost extra 'meal tickets,'
because they were so controlling, so mean
with their fish.

Now most of the little fish
in these two bodies of water
suffer.
Do the 'lords of the fish' hear their cries?