Just About Dark

Salish Sea

Today’s first high tide 

morning sunlight 

gilds the sea

rolling in from the west 

my beach bound shadow

rides each golden raft

Homeward bound wave

upending beach sand

thousands of wet pebbles

click together 

like little bells of stone 

arhythmic beat beneath

watery pulse 

edged with quantum foam 

Salish Sea caresses her lips

stage lit between cedar shadow

rearranging constantly

some stones stay 

others swept away

beneath the furled hem 

of her next wave

I’m fishing for humpies

I know they’re out there

because 30 yards offshore 

the Orcas are passing by 

working the riptide

I hear them before I spot 

black shined hide and dorsal fin slide

beneath the chop

Mammal breath gives them away 

deep exhalations linger on the water

dense lung mist in the air marking 

where they were

and when they breach and catch their breath

it must be taken from my own

because I can’t breathe

when they swim so close

I drop my rod and reel

let the silly lure sink to 

the bottom I’m off 

running down the beach 

watching the pod pursue salmon

round Migley point

where the channel rips through

and the real fishermen 

wait out on the water

far away from shore

On the reefnet gear

Spotter towers rising from

floating platforms 

bent backed fisherman float high

against dawn sky 

immobile silhouettes

wait

snare set 

rubber gloved hands

ready to pull

against the weight 

of empty nets

becoming full.