1953 Stuart Fishing Guide, courtesy of Sandra Henderson Thurlow, Thurlow Archives.

I think for this Friday’s blog post, I will keep it short as the words of the late Ernest Lyons resonate for themselves, especially for those of us who knew our waters in better days.  This poetic piece fills one with inspiration to see healthy waters once again, but reminds us, that in spite of all our troubles, the force of beauty remains.

In her email to me ~sharing this piece, my mother simply wrote:

“This was in a 1953 Fishing Guide. The man in the photo is Capt. Francis A. Adams. Ernie surely could write. He never went to church but….” Mom

Enjoy.

The Fisherman, by Ernest Lyons

His is a measure of the peace that comes to the man of wide waters and in quiet places. Clouds, sea, and rain, the wind and sun accept him into their company.

He sees the creatures that the Lord hath wrought in the deeps…the sawfish with its armored flail, the remora with sucking cups atop its head to fasten onto shark or ray, the mullet always fleeing. He feels the presence of creation’s magic close at hand.

He knows the beauty of the morning and bright fullness of the day upon the sea and rivers. He sees the swift and dreadful, the timid, and the fierce. And within him there is wonder that such miracles should be.   

Biography, Ernest Lyons: http://www.flpress.com/node/63

Sandra Henderson Thurlow, local historian: http://www.sandrathurlow.com