I never boarded one
but as a child
I thought the boats
were beautiful
with their long bowsprit
where the harpooner
would stand far out in front
waiting for the right moment
to pitch his shaft
with its barbed iron tip
what seemed exciting as a child
seems cruel now
but I remember how I loved the taste
of swordfish steaks
grilled over charcoal
a rare summer treat
and the swords we nailed up
on the wall after they'd dried
the fleet was largely lost in '54
when Carol blew up from the Gulf
raised such a tide
that even good sized boats
were floated up
over the docks and into town
or else set down on pilings
that broke through the hulls
a few years later
the big fish were gone
from coastal waters
and the fishermen
found other stock
and other ways to fish
now thanks to regulation
swordfish are back in numbers
and there's talk
of bringing back the old traditions
but if it were up to me
I'd cast my vote for rod and reel
giving the fish
at least a fighting chance