Fishing Poem by Daleen Enslinstrydom

The sunbeams reflect on the water
where we spent the day at Nigel dam,
where you and Hannes prepare the fishing rods
and struggle to drive the pegs into the rocky soil.

From under the shade of the gazebo
I do notice a fish jumping out of the water
and a circle widens around it
on the surface of the dam.

There is a slight wind blowing,
pink flamingos are feeding in the shallow water
and some Egyptian geese are swimming around
while a blue-purple coloured dragonfly hovers
over the surface of the water,
a frog bellows in the reeds
and the sound of grasshoppers jumping in the long grass
crackles like a burning fire
and the bright sun turns the water surface
in to a glittering mirror
and here and there it reflects the overhead clouds.

When Hannes casts his line in
laughter breaks out
as he barely misses a man
on a passing water-scooter
who swerves away
and almost falls into the dam.

Both you and Hannes
reel out beautiful carps
weighing over three kilograms
and release them again
after photographs are taken.

In that tranquilly we linger
until the sun sets in golden tones over the dam
and the ducks fly off to their nests
and the three of us are a happy family.