A whispered crisp autumn zephyr
lifts and gently tosses my hair
brushes softly against my cheek
to tug my bright vivid kite — skyward
these beautiful, crisp autumn days
remind me so, of my loving, adoptive father
we’d leave Ohio to fish the crystal waters of Canada
and fly colorful homemade kites, from the boat dock
out on the lake, I loved the soothing sound of water
lapping the sides of our aluminum fishing boat
and the breakwater splashing of a hooked, leaping fish
contorting at line’s end, like an unruly, windblown kite
for a sad young boy, those fishing trips were magic
life after the orphanage, I still often felt untethered
a lost kite, whose string was broken – blowing away
eventually, I rose intact, buoyed on this fisherman’s love
I began life tossed and tumbled in daily crosswinds
a kite unloosed, frenzied by surrounding uncertainty
but winds of fate carried me to a loving, generous man
who tethered me to his heart, and I, to his as well
I still soar strong, in bold colors of living
on the warm wafting winds of wonderful memory
of this man who gave me love, who gave me a life
gave me a home – and he taught me to love fishing
*
rob kistner © 2021
Poetry at: dVerse