The Bond Poem by Patrick Ladbrooke
The Bond
I remember nights of roaring surf,
The long rods nodding with the pull,
Watching in the hiss and glare of pressure lamps,
Waiting with my father, for the fish to run.
And run they did, made lines sing in the wind,
Smooth muscled silver-green flanked cod,
Gorged plump on shrimp shoaled in the scour.
We cradled them from breaker’s undertow,
Our sea soaked clothes raw in the cold of night,
To marvel as they glistened on the sand.
Next day, served on our plates,
They tasted like they’d swum from seas of heaven.
But time has stolen him away from me,
And I have lost the heart, for fishing was our bond,
Yet still I look out on the starry, surf filled, fishless nights
To think of how it was;
Just waiting for the moon to light a seaward path,
And wishing it could take me back to then.
Some of the best verse I've read recently. Thank you for the emotional experience.
A beautiful poem of nostalgia with beautifully drawn images visualizing the scenes presented in the poem.The longing to belong to the past by the poet is strongly felt in the last stanza.
Terrific Write! you really captured the scene with poignancy and endearment, every line was crisp and magnetic and it would really make your father proud, I thank him for providing you the experience to write this
This is stunning Patrick - the reader can smell the salt air and see the silvery flash of scales and wild fishes eyes. And the final stanza breaks the reader's heart. The power of bond and the neverending pain of loss are shared with grace and without sentimentality. Beautifully crafted poem. Love, Allie ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Patrick, Your poem about the bond between your father and you was understood and deliberate. There IS a bond between a boy and his dad that might not ever be explained outside of poetry. It is different than all other relationships. It is the agent that defines who and what we become and do. I lost my dad, also, and wrote a poem, Stalemate if you choose to read it. It summarily says that we who have been taught must now become the teacher. Your writing is very poignant and well structured. I commend your poet's heart on writing about such a personal and painful matter.
This is nostalgic. We don't appreciate what we are going through when young. A deep reflection of the past gives us a great memory. The poet has done this perfectly well. Kudos
Lovely poem...Our memories of time spent with our parents are always too poignant to be forgotten...
Brilliant poem, very nostalgic, great memories that will never erase the special bond shared, thanks for sharing.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/20/2024 10:50:48 AM # 1.0.0.1119
Your words spin vivid scenes in the reader’s mind. The tug at the rods, drenched clothes, the chill and the moonlit fish making a run for it. Amazing imagery. delightfully spun lines and skilfully crafted story-telling.