Treasure Trove Trout

The river stands still
A sentry in the midnight darkness
Guarding the silver metals and treasure troves
Sunken deep in its vaults.

I approach armed with 9ft fly-rod and Soldier Palmer
Creeping through the river-side undergrowth
Half expecting the clang of an alarm bell
As I stumble over some tripwire.

I wade into the river
Commando-like
under the still spotlight of the moon
As bunk-bed trout lay dozing on rocky pillows
Half-dreaming.

I cast into darkness like a blind man
Feeling a walkway
Trying to assert some tangible image,
Some shadow of reality.

I must not ripple the surface,
Every cast must weave through
The laser-caged security blanket
The river holds
Every cast must crawl
Gently over the marble smooth surface
No imprint, no punctuation.

Cast and drift,
Cast and drift,
That is the mantra I chant.

For these treasures are found
Purely through meditation.

Cast and drift,
Cast and drift,
Until
Bang! Everything is forgotten,
It's a smash and grab,
A hit and run
As treasure trove trout
Shake this camp
Into flash-light frenzy.

And I am off!
With a bar of silver
Under my arm
With the river chasing behind
Forever chasing,
Forever lamenting
This plundered appendage.