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ysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the March 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from zesty_pinto. It also fills the "Mountains" square in my 3-1-25 card for the Tolkien Bingo Fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the Rutledge thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.
"The Tranquility and Beauty of the Winter Landscape"
[Sunday, January 11, 2015]
Henry Flanders drove to
Family Business Rest
to pick up his clients.
He liked to teach people
about nature, and Syrians
were pretty reliably fascinated
by anything having to do with
safety or food acquisition.
So he wasn't surprised
that a couple of them had
signed up for ice fishing.
Indoors, Tarek al-Khair
and Nafih Khalaf sat on
opposite ends of the couch.
Tarek was thin and jittery,
while Nafih had wiry muscles
and looked quite exhausted.
"Morning, guys," said Henry.
"You dressed for the cold?"
"I dressed in layers, just like
your flyer said," Tarek replied.
"Got wool," Nafih said as he
plucked at a fisherman's sweater
made with navy blue cableknit.
"Great," Henry said, beckoning
them toward the door. "Let's go."
They all climbed in, and he
pulled out of the parking lot.
Once they were on the road,
he said, "Today we're going out
to Lake Bomoseen. It's close
and usually has great fishing."
"Big lake?" asked Nafih.
"Yeah, it's the largest lake
that lies completely inside of
state boundaries," said Henry.
"That's an asset in ice fishing.
We want big fish and plenty of
room under the ice for them."
"I like fish," said Nafih. "Lots
of food. Good eating too."
"I just want to get away from
the crowds and spend time
out in nature," said Tarek.
"Ice fishing is not just about
catching fish. It’s about enjoying
the tranquility and beauty of
the winter landscape while
you are fishing," said Henry.
"Do you really think this
will work?" said Tarek.
"Yes," said Henry. "If
what you need is peace
and quiet, then it's hard
to beat ice fishing for that."
Nafih sighed. "Calm is hard,"
he said. "Inside ... boiling." He
clenched a hand at his chest.
"Ice fishing is good for soothing
strong emotions too, as long as
the problem is a hot feeling and
not a cold one," said Henry.
Soon they reached the lake
and found a parking spot,
then they all climbed out.
It was a beautiful place,
cupped in the mountains.
Low ridges and peaks
framed the lake like
so many cockscombs.
Between the mountains,
the frozen water was
almost mirror smooth.
A light dusting of snow
lay over the clear ice.
Nafih took a deep breath.
"Cold, clean," he said.
"Yeah, winter air sure
blows the dust off of you,"
said Henry. "Once we're
here, we check ice safety."
He took out his smartphone
to active his favorite program.
"The Frigid Fish Fellows app has
free public service features for
ice fishing safety, area maps,
navigation, weather forecasting,
ice reports, trip logging, and so on,"
he said. "Lake Bomoseen reports
between four and six inches of ice,
with no weather alerts today."
"Is good?" Nafih asked him.
"We don't fall through it?"
"Four inches will support
a person, or a group if they
spread out," said Henry,
showing them the display.
"Six inches is even better."
"That does sound good,"
Tarek said with a nod.
"With a membership, you
get more features, and then
a paid account adds another set
of goodies," said Henry. "You can
keep track of what you catch and
where, or share with your friends."
He showed them the lists of features.
"If you want a paid account, I can buy
you one at a discount, because I have
a professional account," he finished.
The two Syrians looked at each other,
then nodded. "Yes, please," said Tarek.
Quickly Henry set up the accounts.
"Okay, there you go," said Henry.
"I've logged us at the lake, so folks
will know to look in case of trouble."
He started unpacking safety gear
and making a set for everyone.
"What is?" Nafih asked as he
waved a hand at the lineup.
"This is a throwbag," said Henry.
"Everybody carries one, so that if
someone falls through the ice, you
can throw a rope to pull them out.
Ice cleats go on your shoes for
traction. Ice picks you can use
to pull yourself out if you fall in."
It didn't take long to get them
properly equipped for the ice.
Nafih crunched around on
his cleats, grinning. "Fun!"
"That's the idea," said Henry,
and checked to make sure
that Tarek was okay too.
Tarek was walking around
more carefully. "I am fine."
"Now, before we step out onto
the lake, I want to remind you
that ice fishing always carries
an element of risk," said Henry.
"Do you freely accept the risk
in pursuit of the rewards?"
"I accept," Tarek said,
and Nafih added, "Yes."
"All right," Henry said.
"Once we find a good spot,
we'll bring out all the gear.
Now let's go hit the ice!"
He led them out onto
the lake, then stopped.
"Here we use a spud bar
to check the ice thickness."
Henry demonstrated how
to whack the bar into the ice.
It hit bottom because the water
close to shore was frozen solid.
"We'll test again every twenty feet
or so as we go," he said. "Does
anyone else want to try this?"
"I try," Nafih said at once,
holding out his hand.
Henry showed him how
to use the spud to chip
a hole in the ice, and
eventually they hit water.
He leaned down to measure,
then said, "Right at five inches,
that's a great sign. Tarek, did
you want to try using the spud?
Tarek shook his head. "I don't
like hitting things," he said.
"I like," Nafih said. "Feels
good to do something.
You show me measure?"
"Sure, it's not hard,"
Henry said, and then
demonstrated how
to use the ice ruler.
From there, he and
Nafih took turns using
the spud to check ice.
"Six inch!" Nafih crowed.
Henry looked around
and sighted against
the fringe of mountains,
then checked his phone
to compare the map.
"This is a good place,"
he declared. "We'll mark
the location with a ribbon,
then go get the gear sled."
It didn't take long to haul
the gear out to their spot.
"Okay, we're allowed up
to eight lines per person,
but I find that five apiece
is plenty," said Henry.
"Why five?" asked Nafih.
"More holes, more fish?"
"We don't want to spread out
too far, and drilling the holes
takes work," Henry explained.
Tarek watched him cranking
the ice auger, then asked,
"Why not use a power drill?"
"You can, or you could buy
an electric auger," said Henry.
"I like a hand auger because it's
economical, doesn't run out of fuel,
discourages you from drilling holes
you don't really need, and lets you
feel the ice under your hands so
you get more of the experience."
"I try?" Nafih asked instantly,
and Tarek said, "I'll try too."
Henry showed them how
to use the auger. It wasn't
difficult to do, it just needed
some serious elbow grease.
Soon they had enough holes
to start setting up the tackle.
"Most ice fishers use what's
called a tip-up," said Henry.
"I have brought a couple of
commercial Beaver Dams and
a survival version that I built
myself. You can try either one."
"Can try both?" Nafih asked.
"Good to know survival."
"Sure, go ahead." Henry
showed them how to set up
both varieties of tip-up rig.
"Now when you get a bite,
that releases the flag. You
holler 'Flag up!' when you see
that, to alert your teammates."
"Flag up," Nafih repeated,
and then Tarek echoed him.
"I also brought some fishing rods,
St Croix Custom Ice Perch Seekers,
if you want to feel for a bite by hand,"
said Henry. "They're shorter than
regular rods because you don't cast."
"I want to feel the fish," Tarek said.
"May I try fishing with the rod?"
"Of course," said Henry. "You'll
feel it with a tip-up too, though --
you have to grab the line with
your hands to haul in the fish."
"Sounds fun," said Nafih.
"I try this way too."
Henry explained how
to use the ice fishing rod
and then put out buckets
for everyone to sit on.
"How do you feel?"
he asked them. "Is
the ice helping you?"
Tarek looked around
at the lake in its cup of
mountains. "Calmer."
"Less boiling," Nafih said,
spreading a hand on his chest.
"Oh!" Tarek exclaimed as he
leaned forward. "Is that --?"
"You got a bite!" said Henry.
"Set the hook and reel it in."
Tarek fumbled a bit, but he
managed to follow instructions
and eventually land the fish.
Quickly Henry unhooked
the handsome perch and
popped the fish inside
the Sit-n-Fish bucket.
"This keeps the fish from
freezing," Henry explained.
"Flag up!" yelled Nafih,
and ran for the hole.
"Grab the line with
your hands and pull
smoothly," said Henry.
Nafih obeyed, and soon
pulled in a plump trout.
"Good eating," Henry said.
"You worked hard for that."
Over the next few hours,
the three of them caught
several more perch,
numerous trout, and
a few other species.
Henry had a nice batch
of bass for himself, too.
Tarek had tried all of
the options, but preferred
a delicate touch on the rod.
So when a fish hit the next hole
over from him, he called "Flag up!"
and let Nafih take over the catch.
Nafih ran to grab the line and
set the hook, then squawked in
surprise as the fish yanked
his arm into the water.
Henry and Tarek hurried
to grab Nafih and help him
pull the line enough to get
his arm back in the air.
"You've got a big one
there," Henry encouraged.
"Maybe too big for me,"
Nafih said, eyes wide.
"No, you can do it,"
said Henry. "We will
only help if you need it."
After much struggle,
Nafih landed something
long and lean with a mouth
full of utterly ferocious teeth.
"What is?" Nafih yelped as
he backed away from it.
"Northern pike," said Henry.
"Watch your fingers, they bite.
I'll put him in your bucket. You
have quite a feast in there!"
The pike barely fit inside
the big bucket with all of
the other fish caught earlier.
"Scary, but fun," said Nafih.
"But scary. Now what?"
"Now we go home,"
said Henry. "That's
the rule if anyone gets
wet on the ice. Here,
dry off as best you can."
He passed Nafih a towel
to soak up the water.
Quickly they retrieved
their gear and packed
it back onto their sled.
Henry used safe ice paint
to mark the holes as available
in case other fishermen came.
Then they hurried back to
their vehicle, with Henry
keeping an eye on Nafih.
"Take off your wet coat,"
Henry said. "Wrap up in
this blanket. Put your
hands over the heater.
That should warm you up."
"Bet-et-er," Nafih said, but
as long as he was still
chattering and shivering,
he hadn't gotten too chilled.
"So, what do you two think
of ice fishing now?" said Henry.
Tarek smiled, one corner of
his mouth curling slightly up.
"When can we go again?"
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its notes appear elsewhere.
zesty_pinto. It also fills the "Mountains" square in my 3-1-25 card for the Tolkien Bingo Fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony Barrette. It belongs to the Rutledge thread of the Polychrome Heroics series."The Tranquility and Beauty of the Winter Landscape"
[Sunday, January 11, 2015]
Henry Flanders drove to
Family Business Rest
to pick up his clients.
He liked to teach people
about nature, and Syrians
were pretty reliably fascinated
by anything having to do with
safety or food acquisition.
So he wasn't surprised
that a couple of them had
signed up for ice fishing.
Indoors, Tarek al-Khair
and Nafih Khalaf sat on
opposite ends of the couch.
Tarek was thin and jittery,
while Nafih had wiry muscles
and looked quite exhausted.
"Morning, guys," said Henry.
"You dressed for the cold?"
"I dressed in layers, just like
your flyer said," Tarek replied.
"Got wool," Nafih said as he
plucked at a fisherman's sweater
made with navy blue cableknit.
"Great," Henry said, beckoning
them toward the door. "Let's go."
They all climbed in, and he
pulled out of the parking lot.
Once they were on the road,
he said, "Today we're going out
to Lake Bomoseen. It's close
and usually has great fishing."
"Big lake?" asked Nafih.
"Yeah, it's the largest lake
that lies completely inside of
state boundaries," said Henry.
"That's an asset in ice fishing.
We want big fish and plenty of
room under the ice for them."
"I like fish," said Nafih. "Lots
of food. Good eating too."
"I just want to get away from
the crowds and spend time
out in nature," said Tarek.
"Ice fishing is not just about
catching fish. It’s about enjoying
the tranquility and beauty of
the winter landscape while
you are fishing," said Henry.
"Do you really think this
will work?" said Tarek.
"Yes," said Henry. "If
what you need is peace
and quiet, then it's hard
to beat ice fishing for that."
Nafih sighed. "Calm is hard,"
he said. "Inside ... boiling." He
clenched a hand at his chest.
"Ice fishing is good for soothing
strong emotions too, as long as
the problem is a hot feeling and
not a cold one," said Henry.
Soon they reached the lake
and found a parking spot,
then they all climbed out.
It was a beautiful place,
cupped in the mountains.
Low ridges and peaks
framed the lake like
so many cockscombs.
Between the mountains,
the frozen water was
almost mirror smooth.
A light dusting of snow
lay over the clear ice.
Nafih took a deep breath.
"Cold, clean," he said.
"Yeah, winter air sure
blows the dust off of you,"
said Henry. "Once we're
here, we check ice safety."
He took out his smartphone
to active his favorite program.
"The Frigid Fish Fellows app has
free public service features for
ice fishing safety, area maps,
navigation, weather forecasting,
ice reports, trip logging, and so on,"
he said. "Lake Bomoseen reports
between four and six inches of ice,
with no weather alerts today."
"Is good?" Nafih asked him.
"We don't fall through it?"
"Four inches will support
a person, or a group if they
spread out," said Henry,
showing them the display.
"Six inches is even better."
"That does sound good,"
Tarek said with a nod.
"With a membership, you
get more features, and then
a paid account adds another set
of goodies," said Henry. "You can
keep track of what you catch and
where, or share with your friends."
He showed them the lists of features.
"If you want a paid account, I can buy
you one at a discount, because I have
a professional account," he finished.
The two Syrians looked at each other,
then nodded. "Yes, please," said Tarek.
Quickly Henry set up the accounts.
"Okay, there you go," said Henry.
"I've logged us at the lake, so folks
will know to look in case of trouble."
He started unpacking safety gear
and making a set for everyone.
"What is?" Nafih asked as he
waved a hand at the lineup.
"This is a throwbag," said Henry.
"Everybody carries one, so that if
someone falls through the ice, you
can throw a rope to pull them out.
Ice cleats go on your shoes for
traction. Ice picks you can use
to pull yourself out if you fall in."
It didn't take long to get them
properly equipped for the ice.
Nafih crunched around on
his cleats, grinning. "Fun!"
"That's the idea," said Henry,
and checked to make sure
that Tarek was okay too.
Tarek was walking around
more carefully. "I am fine."
"Now, before we step out onto
the lake, I want to remind you
that ice fishing always carries
an element of risk," said Henry.
"Do you freely accept the risk
in pursuit of the rewards?"
"I accept," Tarek said,
and Nafih added, "Yes."
"All right," Henry said.
"Once we find a good spot,
we'll bring out all the gear.
Now let's go hit the ice!"
He led them out onto
the lake, then stopped.
"Here we use a spud bar
to check the ice thickness."
Henry demonstrated how
to whack the bar into the ice.
It hit bottom because the water
close to shore was frozen solid.
"We'll test again every twenty feet
or so as we go," he said. "Does
anyone else want to try this?"
"I try," Nafih said at once,
holding out his hand.
Henry showed him how
to use the spud to chip
a hole in the ice, and
eventually they hit water.
He leaned down to measure,
then said, "Right at five inches,
that's a great sign. Tarek, did
you want to try using the spud?
Tarek shook his head. "I don't
like hitting things," he said.
"I like," Nafih said. "Feels
good to do something.
You show me measure?"
"Sure, it's not hard,"
Henry said, and then
demonstrated how
to use the ice ruler.
From there, he and
Nafih took turns using
the spud to check ice.
"Six inch!" Nafih crowed.
Henry looked around
and sighted against
the fringe of mountains,
then checked his phone
to compare the map.
"This is a good place,"
he declared. "We'll mark
the location with a ribbon,
then go get the gear sled."
It didn't take long to haul
the gear out to their spot.
"Okay, we're allowed up
to eight lines per person,
but I find that five apiece
is plenty," said Henry.
"Why five?" asked Nafih.
"More holes, more fish?"
"We don't want to spread out
too far, and drilling the holes
takes work," Henry explained.
Tarek watched him cranking
the ice auger, then asked,
"Why not use a power drill?"
"You can, or you could buy
an electric auger," said Henry.
"I like a hand auger because it's
economical, doesn't run out of fuel,
discourages you from drilling holes
you don't really need, and lets you
feel the ice under your hands so
you get more of the experience."
"I try?" Nafih asked instantly,
and Tarek said, "I'll try too."
Henry showed them how
to use the auger. It wasn't
difficult to do, it just needed
some serious elbow grease.
Soon they had enough holes
to start setting up the tackle.
"Most ice fishers use what's
called a tip-up," said Henry.
"I have brought a couple of
commercial Beaver Dams and
a survival version that I built
myself. You can try either one."
"Can try both?" Nafih asked.
"Good to know survival."
"Sure, go ahead." Henry
showed them how to set up
both varieties of tip-up rig.
"Now when you get a bite,
that releases the flag. You
holler 'Flag up!' when you see
that, to alert your teammates."
"Flag up," Nafih repeated,
and then Tarek echoed him.
"I also brought some fishing rods,
St Croix Custom Ice Perch Seekers,
if you want to feel for a bite by hand,"
said Henry. "They're shorter than
regular rods because you don't cast."
"I want to feel the fish," Tarek said.
"May I try fishing with the rod?"
"Of course," said Henry. "You'll
feel it with a tip-up too, though --
you have to grab the line with
your hands to haul in the fish."
"Sounds fun," said Nafih.
"I try this way too."
Henry explained how
to use the ice fishing rod
and then put out buckets
for everyone to sit on.
"How do you feel?"
he asked them. "Is
the ice helping you?"
Tarek looked around
at the lake in its cup of
mountains. "Calmer."
"Less boiling," Nafih said,
spreading a hand on his chest.
"Oh!" Tarek exclaimed as he
leaned forward. "Is that --?"
"You got a bite!" said Henry.
"Set the hook and reel it in."
Tarek fumbled a bit, but he
managed to follow instructions
and eventually land the fish.
Quickly Henry unhooked
the handsome perch and
popped the fish inside
the Sit-n-Fish bucket.
"This keeps the fish from
freezing," Henry explained.
"Flag up!" yelled Nafih,
and ran for the hole.
"Grab the line with
your hands and pull
smoothly," said Henry.
Nafih obeyed, and soon
pulled in a plump trout.
"Good eating," Henry said.
"You worked hard for that."
Over the next few hours,
the three of them caught
several more perch,
numerous trout, and
a few other species.
Henry had a nice batch
of bass for himself, too.
Tarek had tried all of
the options, but preferred
a delicate touch on the rod.
So when a fish hit the next hole
over from him, he called "Flag up!"
and let Nafih take over the catch.
Nafih ran to grab the line and
set the hook, then squawked in
surprise as the fish yanked
his arm into the water.
Henry and Tarek hurried
to grab Nafih and help him
pull the line enough to get
his arm back in the air.
"You've got a big one
there," Henry encouraged.
"Maybe too big for me,"
Nafih said, eyes wide.
"No, you can do it,"
said Henry. "We will
only help if you need it."
After much struggle,
Nafih landed something
long and lean with a mouth
full of utterly ferocious teeth.
"What is?" Nafih yelped as
he backed away from it.
"Northern pike," said Henry.
"Watch your fingers, they bite.
I'll put him in your bucket. You
have quite a feast in there!"
The pike barely fit inside
the big bucket with all of
the other fish caught earlier.
"Scary, but fun," said Nafih.
"But scary. Now what?"
"Now we go home,"
said Henry. "That's
the rule if anyone gets
wet on the ice. Here,
dry off as best you can."
He passed Nafih a towel
to soak up the water.
Quickly they retrieved
their gear and packed
it back onto their sled.
Henry used safe ice paint
to mark the holes as available
in case other fishermen came.
Then they hurried back to
their vehicle, with Henry
keeping an eye on Nafih.
"Take off your wet coat,"
Henry said. "Wrap up in
this blanket. Put your
hands over the heater.
That should warm you up."
"Bet-et-er," Nafih said, but
as long as he was still
chattering and shivering,
he hadn't gotten too chilled.
"So, what do you two think
of ice fishing now?" said Henry.
Tarek smiled, one corner of
his mouth curling slightly up.
"When can we go again?"
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its notes appear elsewhere.
(no subject)
Date: 2026-02-12 04:23 am (UTC)