Fishing On The Lake

Fishing On The Lake
© Surazeus
2025 02 25

Listening to Johnny Cash country songs, 
Grendel drives his green pickup truck to work 
at the refrigerator factory 
past the lake where he loves to fish on Sundays, 
but slams on the brakes when he thinks he sees 
the Loch Ness Monster rising from dark waves. 

Filming the giant monster in the lake 
with his eye-phone, too shaky in his hand, 
Grendel plunges through bushes to the shore, 
and exclaims "Holy Cow, look what I see!" 
as he stumbles knee-deep in sparkling waves 
to get a better view of the huge beast. 

Catching sight of the tall mountain Sasquatch 
who runs frantically along the lake shore, 
Nessie leans her head down to better see 
his hairy face, and asks, "What is your name? 
You look just like your father Gandolar 
who used to visit me with chocolate cake." 

Startled when the lake monster clearly speaks 
name of his father, Grendel shouts with joy, 
"My father often told me about you, 
Nessalina, daughter of Melusine, 
about how you met in the Sognefjord 
where you fled after your husband was killed." 

Bowing her head so tears fall in the lake, 
Nessalina whispers, "Gandolar-Son, 
I am honored you remember my sorrow 
at how Apollo slew my husband Python, 
then roasted him on moon-feast pyramid 
while wearing his skull as unholy crown." 

"Instead of punishing that arrow-shooter, 
when I appealed to Jupiter for justice," 
Nessalina cries with big eyes of sorrow, 
black as the night sky where stars glimmer dim, 
"he rewarded that smug arrogant boy 
with hand of his daughter Daphne in marriage." 

Patting her head with honest empathy, 
the big-footed Sasquatch commiserates, 
"I am sorry for your loss, Nessalina, 
so remember that Grendel is my name 
when I return on Sunday to talk again, 
sharing stories about happier times." 

Waving goodbye to the sad Loch Ness Monster, 
Grendel climbs up the steep hill to the road, 
then continues driving quickly to work 
at the refrigerator factory, 
but stops and shouts, "I shall quit that stupid job, 
and enjoy my days fishing on the lake."