We Were the Water Warriors

by Bob Lindsey

*dedicated to Wade Wilburn

Wadin’ barefoot thru the water
Shufflin’ feet thru the sand
Shinin’ a Coleman Lantern thru the cold
Flounderin’ on the front beach.

Wade and I were water warriors,
Spears ready, thrusting at shadows
That were seldom, flat fish
Nestled in the sand.

We called them Gigs, these
Three pronged forks that gouged
The sandy waters – oh how we
Wanted to gig the big one.

More often than not, on nights
Moonlit, we meandered thru
Mossy waters, thru the knee high
Brine, wishing we had a boat.

But, we were just kids,
Kidding ourselves, that we
Were water warriors, great
Fishers making a living wage.

He knew I wasn’t and he
Knew he was, but he still
Let me hold the lantern,
Sometimes.

December 2006