the sea made Henry
knot a fishline 'round his ring,
tie one end to his wrist
and throw the package in the water

as he stood there, he sang lullabyes to the ocean
tugging often at the line to make it sparkle
but elusive:

"There are no hooks to catch them with
There is no catch for me to keep
I tempt them with a promise and a song
Once sung to me."

moves with the fishline
tthe phellum layer of bark
seals some bottles, cork

LAKE ERIE

On my walk, making way to Lake Erie
as it reaches out in front of me, proving
a task, bits of debris cling along the shore
a brick, driftwood, a tangled fishline coerced
I keep walking catching my breath as i go
till the harsh lake winds whip in a frenzy
trying to attack me from all sides, so i
look down trying to prevent  any further
wind burn lashing my face, and ahead
i see strings of brackish foam coming
in with the tide, behaving like a rabid dog
still ahead of me further up the body of some dis-
emboweled creature lands at my feet-which i am
unable to no longer identify with any certainty

by Michael Perry