As evening over lake and dock began to fall
He even caught a glimpse of the Moon for a spell

But it only peeked through shrinking holes
In storm clouds gathering
If he didn’t head home now
He might be in for a battering

So he packed up his tackle
And retracted his rod
To the fish filled his bucket
He was a menacing God

Of the day’s fishes caught
Judged alone by their size
No one could be said
To be worth any prize

But taken together
As a minced minnow stew
There were more than enough
For ten dinners for two

A fifty pound carp arced through the air overhead
And, to the man’s amazement, this fish spoke aloud:

“Take me!” it said
Take me instead
Your conscience will thank you
and you’ll be better fed.”

It splashed back in the water,
The man scratched his chin
Then the fish looped back over
And spoke yet again

“Among those in your bucket
Are my wife and my kids
Let them go, I’m much bigger
You’ll be grateful you did”

Ah why now the big fish?
Now it’s dark and there’s rain
The fisherman grumbled
Then said “okay, get in”

The big fish yelled “Thank you,
You will not regret it”
He dove into the bucket
The man slapped a lid on it

“But wait!” cried the fish
“My family’s still in here!’
“That’s great” said the man
You’ll all go well with beer

“You’ve reneged on our deal!
You’re worse than an eel
Have you no conscience?
Can you not feel?”

“I agreed no such thing
And my feeling is strong
It’s a feeling called hunger
Dinner time! Come along

In the cramped bucket confines
Of doomed circumstances
The fish exchanged terrified,
Sorrowful glances

The Man lifted the bucket
Which had now grown more heavy ( weighty)
As ever heavier rain
Made the slick dock more slippery

As he turned on his heel
His heel turned on him
His legs went akimbo
And he fell on his bottom

The bucket fell sideways
The lid burst free
And a waterfall of fish
Splashed back into their sea