Lemon

[Codi Monroy, a woman from Florida who is only 5’4” hooked a large Lemon Shark out night fishing in August 2014. Not sure if treating such a majestic creature this way is right?]

Lemon

You set your bait,

cast your line

and sent it out to sea

and on that beach in Florida

never thought of

catching me.

But I bit

and so you fought,

like a tiger in the sand,

as you and your companion

reeled me in

and dragged me to dry land.

I was your prize,

a trophy fish

of three hundred and fifty pounds

beached and filmed

upon the shore

so you can do news rounds.

 

08/08/14

Reviews

[Mark]

Majestic? Mmmm... I heard of a film documentary where the filmed goes a bit bonkers about bears. He starts talking about how they are noble and capable of sympathy. Then one of them ate him. ( prolly not true, it was a Ron White joke lol) good work though, I thought she was capturing a lover at first read.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Hi Mark, So good to see you again. Please include me in RRs again. Loved the bear tale and sort of wish the shark had fought back too! And hey yes most women reel us in in a similar manner no matter our poundage! lol

[Dara]

This is excellent! It makes me think of the time I went cod jigging off the coast of Newfoundland and landed a 4 footer!

[John Alexander McFadyen]

May thanks Passionflower and I hate ask what cod 'jiggling is!

[Dara]

Your are right, it is a bit ambiguous :-) Just a form of fishing where you pull a hook at the end of a very long thick rope up and down to attract the cod.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Well I now can visualise it and the rope is dancing up and down aka 'jigging'. Thank you for the explanation.

[R Smith]

I'm on facebook and get to see loads of pictures of animals hunted and killed or just animals abused and hurt by lower forms of life, think they called humans, well some of them, fishing never seems so bad but lately I even take exception to that so no trophy fish is not a favourite thing of mine but you made an excellent poem from an unpleasant thing, well written John.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you so much Richard

[Leslie Philibert]

a thought provoker that sended me to Hemmingway`s Old Man and the Sea..a equal fight ? I`m not sure, but I love the shift in perspective and the original theme ; excellent !

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you so much Leslie hope things are good with you?

[Lyn Anderson]

Yes, well, not a big fan of pics on internet of people with dead creatures as prizes. This isn't where I personally wanted to see feminism go. Umm, yeah, I just realize how pissed this makes me. But then, I guess that is what this piece is intended to do, provoke thought. And with that, I am off to write a probably very nasty piece which will curl toes and make people say EWWW I don't have your finesse, John, when dealing with things I find unjust.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Can't wait to read it 'M' but ommmmmmmmm...........................................be calm, nay serene.

[Frieda P]

I wasn't sure what this was about until I read your note, question, would you have given it this much thought if Lemon had been a man?

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Do you mean caught by a man. If so yes. It was given wide publicity and there was a video on line this week showing the poor shark beached. It also raised lots of questions about shark fishing in general and particularly from piers.

[Frieda P]

Sorry, I have no sympathy for the devil, these apex predators are on their own, don't make me go all Jaws on you John....they scare the bejaysus out of me...

now if it had been a dolphin I'd be freaking out...

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Soft on dolphins hard on sharks? You have to respect the design of the shark so perfect in every way apart from eating lol! I don't aim to go swimming with sharks either. I read that you have Lemons in New Jersey!

[Frieda P]

I've seen a shark attack up close and personal, the only respect I have is for the young girl who lost her leg, and thrives....you won't win me over on this one dear...

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Wow really. That must have been very shocking. Not all sharks are dangerous to humans. Lemons generally are not and no one has died who has been attacked by one. They only attack in 'self defence.

Love me love my sharks...........................................................Oh no it was a dog wasn't it!?

[Frieda P]

It's difficult to differentiate which one may or may want you for dinner ...what?? What dog?

[John Alexander McFadyen]

The song 'Love Me Love My Dog' Lol!

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Great white with huge teeth normally!

[Frieda P]

Was I supposed to figure that out, you're a nutter John!

[John Alexander McFadyen]

And there was me thinking my Lady was a lateral thinker lol!

[Frieda P]

Crabwise, the lady needs more sleep!

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Yeah she does get a bit crabby and don't we all know iy lol!

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Some of us got NO sleep last night!

[Frieda P]

Hmmm but for different reasons!

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Ha I wonder!