a fishing contest

a fishing contest

held for the kids

who still knew how to ride their bikes

carrying tackle and bait,

and could hardly wait

for the first cast

until the last;

holding court

by loving the sport,

excited to land the biggest of the bunch;

sometimes working on a simple hunch

of where the big one waited.

an easy pleasure,

to take the measure 

from nose to tail,

always without fail.

the clear eyes

and bright shiny scales

could become imagined whales,

but, of course, were always smaller sizes

and the trophies weren't the only prizes

we wondered out loud about.