If You Are In A Hurry………

Moose Lake Tow, Rising Sunshine
Prairie Portage, First in line

Inlet, Bayley, Basswood Bays
Sandy smooth portage, Trail blaze

Burke Lake, Singing Brook carry
Sunday paddle, Canoe ferry

Two long portages, Back to back
Uphill, Rocky, Stayed on track

Elongated Agnes, Pouring Louisa falls
Glacial cliffs, Snow and ice stalls

Enduring strokes, Prolonged day
Set camp, Night stay

Morning move, River travel
Difficult carry, Rocky gravel

Widow makers, Over tent pad
Trees blown down, Encampment sad

Beautiful Kawnipi, Gorgeous view
Bronzeback fishing, Eagle flew

Move again, Island home
Wind damaged, Bears roam

Small reef, Walleye spot
Quick bite, Four caught

Fillet fish, Batter bunch
Golden brown, Shore lunch

Smallmouth quantity, Sore thumbs
Thumping noise, Grouse drum

Head south, Via S-chain
Slight wind, Fleeting rain

Sultry place, Threatening skies
Buggy situation, Biting black flies

Solo canoeist, Dog in tow
North Bay creek, Beaver dam low

Island retreat, Available site
Cast silver spoon, Lake trout bite

Shift location, Stay Sunday Bay
Rods, Reels, Ready, Last fishing day

Log bench lounge, Starry night
Ignite fire, Flames bright

Break down camp, Load canoe
Final strokes, We bid adieu

Gradual journey, Slowed the pace
If you’re in a hurry, You’re in the wrong place

your prose tells a story I can picture all the way through :) well done.

Especially like the last couplet!

Thanks for the kind words. I wrote this sometime back and just happened to run across it while backing up my documents and thought it was worthy of posting even though it was never published.

rtallent: "Especially like the last couplet!"

Yep!

QueticoMike: "Thanks for the kind words. I wrote this sometime back and just happened to run across it while backing up my documents and thought it was worthy of posting even though it was never published."

Indeed. Mike, you remind me of a couple men in my life that I've admired most. One was my father-in-law, a logger and then lineman who fought in the Pacific aboard submarines, a man with Vice Grips for hands, but that tough hombre loved to walk riverbanks and witness.

Another is a friend who was a mechanic and is now an ice road trucker who paddles Class V in gorges and leaps off cliffs with hang gliders, but gardens and cans and sews.

You've got range, Mike!

missmolly: "

QueticoMike: "Thanks for the kind words. I wrote this sometime back and just happened to run across it while backing up my documents and thought it was worthy of posting even though it was never published."

Indeed. Mike, you remind me of a couple men in my life that I've admired most. One was my father-in-law, a logger and then lineman who fought in the Pacific aboard submarines, a man with Vice Grips for hands, but that tough hombre loved to walk riverbanks and witness.


Another is a friend who was a mechanic and is now an ice road trucker who paddles Class V in gorges and leaps off cliffs with hang gliders, but gardens and cans and sews.


You've got range, Mike! "

I have had people tell me that I'm an enigma..... having range sounds better .....LOL

rtallent: "Especially like the last couplet!"

Story behind this poem.......We were just finishing a portage and our canoe was blocking the portage from anyone else landing there. My fishing partner was still coming down the trail with the final pack. Along comes an old, long white haired gentleman with a little white dog doing a solo trip. I apologized for blocking the portage and he looks over at me and says "If you are in a hurry, well then you are in the wrong place ". Those words stuck with me then and still do to the day. Whenever I feel hurried when out in the woods I think back to the old guy and his wisdom. The guy ended up bypassing the landing and making his own landing about 10 yards down shore. When he departs the canoe he is barefoot. He picked up his pack and headed up the trail sans hiking boots with his little white dog tagging along behind.