"Summertime, And the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin' And the cotton is high." Ah yes, a little Gershwin makes the summertime pleasant. It is the time when a fisherman's thoughts turn to quiet streams running with Large-mouth Bass. The following poem was written in honor of a friend of mine named Charlie Van when he retired from teaching several years ago. He and I and some other friends went fishing at Snow Road, Ontario every spring when the school year was over. We did that for twenty-one years. This poem recaptures a little of the fun we had at Snow Road.

The Big 'O'

Twas in the spring of nineteen -eight-o;
It happened in Snow Road, Ontario.
The boys up at Albert's were mighty low.
For the fishing that year was awful slow.
Fisherman When Charlie to his sack did go
to get a catalog to us to show.
Said he, "Boys, the problem you know
is simply your choice of lures to throw.
There's a new one in the fishing store."
"Oh yes," they cried, "Tell us more".
"You need", said Charlie, "One called Big 'O'."
So we ordered them; each maybe 6 or so.
For the next 10 years or maybe mo'
Along each bank that lure we'd throw.
We threw them high, we threw them low.
We threw them where no lure should go.
We even kept a count to show.
And as the years did past us flow,
the tally showed a Big Zer - O.
As morals of a story go,
this tale has but one to show.
When Charlie to his sack doth go,
In one accord we all shout "NO!"

- Jay D. Weaver

 Copyright © Jay D Weaver - 1995

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