Cane Pole Fishing Poem by Barry Middleton

you don't see it much anymore
cane pole fishing is fading away
it was never about the fish caught
it was about the water and the day

cane pole fishing put you in touch
with interesting people who knew
exactly how to pace a summer day
matching slow water of the slough

bait was organic and home grown
minnows or crickets or worms
wash your hands in black water
no need to worry about germs

I moved up to gear instead of a pole
the jon boat was traded for power
but I wouldn't mind if I could go back
back down to Short Creek for an hour