Chapter 25 fisherman mike
Wide were my eyes as I stared into his;
Hidden in blue as the Bondi December,
Even and creased with a fold at the lids,
The friendliest eyes that I ever remember.
Together, assessing, each pondered the other,
I with my scars and exhaustion full blown;
Never to doubt he was somehow a brother,
Greeting me here from the world we had known.
'My word, you're a mess,' said the stranger, and grinned.
'You're the first bloke that I've clocked since the wind!'
Curious still, I replied with a nod;
Urging my friend to expand on the tale;
'Right-oh,' he said, 'but honest to God,
'It's all I'm recalling; a bloody great gale!'
Odd though it seems, he'd been fishing an hour,
'Skiving off work,' as he said, and grimaced.
Inclement the weather; his temper was sour,
'Then the wind hit, and I wasn't shit-faced...
'You reckon I'm stonkered? It wasn't the case.'
I quickly explained how I'd come to be there,
'No shit!' said my ally. 'The question is, where?'
Colluding with Mike was a major relief,
Oh, disenfranchised, it pained me to be
Never before had I known such a brief
Validating of friendship in strange harmony.
Echoed experience? Nothing at all!
Reunion of knowledge – I chalk to his cheese,
Still did reciprocal stories enthral;
Angler and me as we rested at ease.
To mention volcanoes I hated to try,
Ill-natured nature in tantrum belike-
Over-endowed with its singeing was I;
Newly companioned with Fisherman Mike.
Hidden in blue as the Bondi December,
Even and creased with a fold at the lids,
The friendliest eyes that I ever remember.
Together, assessing, each pondered the other,
I with my scars and exhaustion full blown;
Never to doubt he was somehow a brother,
Greeting me here from the world we had known.
'My word, you're a mess,' said the stranger, and grinned.
'You're the first bloke that I've clocked since the wind!'
Curious still, I replied with a nod;
Urging my friend to expand on the tale;
'Right-oh,' he said, 'but honest to God,
'It's all I'm recalling; a bloody great gale!'
Odd though it seems, he'd been fishing an hour,
'Skiving off work,' as he said, and grimaced.
Inclement the weather; his temper was sour,
'Then the wind hit, and I wasn't shit-faced...
'You reckon I'm stonkered? It wasn't the case.'
I quickly explained how I'd come to be there,
'No shit!' said my ally. 'The question is, where?'
Colluding with Mike was a major relief,
Oh, disenfranchised, it pained me to be
Never before had I known such a brief
Validating of friendship in strange harmony.
Echoed experience? Nothing at all!
Reunion of knowledge – I chalk to his cheese,
Still did reciprocal stories enthral;
Angler and me as we rested at ease.
To mention volcanoes I hated to try,
Ill-natured nature in tantrum belike-
Over-endowed with its singeing was I;
Newly companioned with Fisherman Mike.