.

Tuesday Afternoon

I sit beside a lake and fish,
And read The Captive Mind.
An hour gone, I stand and switch
My bait for a new kind.

But cheddar cheese and crawdad square
For catfish work the same:
In wind and rain or weather fair,
I never catch my game.

It’s still no loss to sit and read,
And smoke a cigarette.
It’s better than to always be
At work with no line wet.

.

.

Jonathan Shoulta has a B.A. in philosophy from Benedictine College and is pursuing an M.A. in Classical Studies. He lives in the Kansas City metro area.

NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets.

The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.


Trending now:

11 Responses

  1. Stephen Dickey

    Great poem, captures frequent sentiments of mine!
    Couldn’t have asked for a better way to start the day.

    Reply
  2. Sally Cook

    There is something so placid and pure in this classic poem of yours. It whisks one away from triviality; I think it might have been written 2,000 years ago, or anytime after. Timeless. I would like to see more of your work.

    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Jonathan Shoulta

      It’s a collection of essays by the Polish poet, Czeslaw Milosz, about the lack of social and creative freedom under the Communists. Great mix of historical analysis and personal anecdote.

      Reply
  4. Paul Freeman

    The brevity of the poem and the incident captures a moment of respite perfectly.

    Thanks for the read, Jonathan.

    Reply
  5. C.B. Anderson

    If I may be allowed to speak,
    A spell of idle fishin’
    Establishes position,
    No matter what the day of week.

    Reply
  6. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Fishing and reading… freedom and ‘The Captive Mind’… predator and prey… those that got away…?… ?…?

    I have returned to this lyrical, beautiful, serene and seemingly simple poem, only to come away with more questions than answers. An admirably written poem that has my head in a spin – I’ve taken the bait and I love it! Thank you, Jonathan.

    Reply
  7. Monika Cooper

    Nice choice on the book and a perfect setting to bask in secret thoughtcrime!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.