Meeting your catch

[Keith]

He untangled the orange line,
and dangled a smashed whelk,
the splash brought the bottom feeders.

Patiently we watch the nibblers
drag the lead tyre with tiny bites,
delight to see the rockfish play.

Then a claw as big as his hand,
snaps the bait and the weight,
disappears beneath the break.

Eyes wide and terrified he stands,
lands me a look I’ve seen before,
walking backwards up the shore.

I remembered then, Chief Brody’s quote,
“we're gonna need a bigger boat”