« On The Clear Water »

Jean-Paul VERNERET
1/9/2025

Boots in the water, the river trembling,
My feet brush the stones, the water splashing,
Under the bank, the crayfish glide together.
Where they hide, beneath the tangled roots.
Their claws quiver, red as moss.
Snuggled deep in a trout’s hole,
I watch their ballet stir,
Amazed by their delicate, hidden dance.

Chorus
They slip beneath the water
Always very discreet
Brown and fragile in the flow
They vanish, sharp and fleet.
They come in numbers
Through the tangled roots,
Their secrets in the shadows
Are very well kept.

Bridge
Under the stones,
On the clear water,
Attentive.
Under the stones,
On the clear water,
Attentive.

Gently I unfold my hook rod,
Skewer a sardine on the weighted line
And drop it into a secret hole,
The crayfish approach with caution.
They slip away, quick and silent,
Into their dark, mysterious hiding place.
I wait, still, by the flowing current,
Listening to the river dance softly.

Chorus
They slip beneath the water
Always very discreet
Brown and fragile in the flow
They vanish, sharp and fleet.
They come in numbers
Through the tangled roots,
Their secrets in the shadows
Are very well kept.

Bridge
Under the stones,
On the clear water,
Attentive.
Under the stones,
On the clear water,
Attentive.