THE Bleary-Eyed Straggler
moves in schools
sights the lure
failing to see
the shining hook
But then her eyes
aren't so sharp
as they used to be

Eyes squint blink
Face slow with sleepy stare
move erratic
step in close

The Straggler
much sought after
not as much as, say,
your Yellow-Bellied Sandsucker,
but there's no accounting for taste.

My breath holds
I sight the creature
silently urge it toward the lure
as it plods toward me

She moves slowly,
does the Straggler,
with her pastel coloring and
whitened head
She may not move fast
but she is
deliberate.

She catches the hook
and I swear she grins at me
Ah, there will be good eating tonight!