« The Pike »
Jean-Paul VERNERET
15/01/2025

The morning sleeps on the numb bank

Pike hide among the seagrass

On my seat at the water's edge, comfortably seated

At the very bottom of a bucket, live bait wriggle

I hook a live bait to a steel rig

I cast my lines into the thick fog

The mist covers the wet water lilies

On the water, my floats dance and everything wobbles

 

Chorus

The reels

Well disengaged

Suddenly

A red float

Under the water disappears

It's time to go

A big pike

Cuts through the fog

Very well hooked

The line tightens

Nothing moves anymore

 

I put away the worms and boilies

I hold my breath, everything seems frozen

The water shivers in the wind on the frozen bank

And I open my landing net wide

Then a leap disturbs the sleeping surface

A shiver on the water beneath the shade of the reeds

Despite frozen fingers, everything comes back to life

And the mist stretches along the water's edge

 

Chorus

The reels

Well disengaged

Suddenly

A red cork

Disappears under the water

It's the start

A big pike

Cuts through the fog

Very well hooked

The line tightens

Nothing moves anymore