As I sit upon this balcony

In my mind I am transported

I see the spot, I’d sit with Dad

In the tinny on the water

**

When others were tired and resting

Dad would say to me

“Let’s sneak out on the water

And see what we can see”

**

We’d launch the boat with care

Being quiet as a mouse

And putt out to the spot

And throw the anchor out

**

We’d drift back till it caught

It had to be just right

Where the bream were biting

Almost every night

**

Only hand lines would we use

Mostly just two each

Chicken gut my choice of bait

And it would work a peach

**

The lights upon the water

Would dance with the breeze

It was quiet and so peaceful

We were very much at ease

**

As we sat there in the stillness

Breathing in the bliss

Wondering if they would bite

One night went a bit like this…

**

The rattle of a plastic reel

Upon the tinny floor

Was a call to arms

“A big one” was the call

**

“Be careful, don’t lose that one Jude

It might even be legal

Now get it in the boat

As quickly as you’re able”

**

The fish now flapping in the boat

Tangling up the lines

Another bite on another line

“Pull it in, it’ll be fine”

**

Now there’s two fish flapping on the floor

Among sinkers, lines and hooks

“Oh what a mess we’ve got

This is one for the books”

**

After unhooking and untangling

In the dolphin torch light

“Now they have gone off the bite

So let’s call it a night”

**

With the anchor hauled in

We’d putt back to the shore

Tie the boat up to the jetty

Now fish cleaning was the chore

**

Dad would scale the fish

Under the jetty lights

My job to do the gutting

To finish off the night

**

I’d drift off to sleep with ease

After quality time with Dad

Content and feeling grateful

Of the holiday we’d had

**

These memories are the best

One of my favourite things to do

Just me and Dad out fishing

Was special to me, it’s true

**

Caloundra’s changed a lot

Now Bribie’s cut in two!

New units have popped up everywhere

Since 1982

**

But the tide it still flows in and out

There are pelicans in the air

That smell of the salt water

Nothing else can quite compare

**

Life moves on without him

Exactly as it ought to

But some things never change

Like our spot upon the water

**

Judy Kuhn