Fishing on Thanksgiving Day
By Paul Thomas Roussell
On a cold November morning with a Northeast chill
Along come a sense of gratitude and a hungry heart at will.
Heading to the east on a working man's sail
As a tired old moon drops off our tail..
Summer's gone with all the misty fog,
Only memories remain with a salty old log.
I recall days of old, on this one special day,
When a group of Europeans left their land astray..
A ship called the Mayflower, in a treacherous sea
Headed for Virginia for the new world of free
But a navigating mistake changed their course instead
And they ended up at Cape Cod's famous ocean bed.
A pilgrim's tale is based on a Puritan Thanksgiving
As they ventured west to change their way of living
With eager hearts and a grand will to live,
A tradition was invented, God's will to give.
Wampanoag Indians joined in this gathering plan.
It is a religious day, for the working man.
It all started in the year sixteen twenty-one
A harvest feast of joy under the old New England sun..
Approved by congress, a nationwide proclaim
And after the Revolution, it remained the same.
Men of feat, that sailed across in fame
Men called Pilgrims were surely to blame.
The fourth Thursday of November, I honored a day to fish,
With thoughts of those who sailed on a wish.
Tales of the sea, as I sail from the bay,
Getting underway to fish, on Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving means many things to different people. For most traditionalists, though, this holiday is synonymous with festive meals, parades, football, family and friends, and, of course, turkey.
For many, it's also about spending time together, catching up and enjoying one another's company. The Thanksgiving holiday is a reminder to give thanks for the good things, people and providential events in our lives.
For die-hard fishermen, however, Thanksgiving usually means a day or two extra off work and a chance to spend more hours in pursuit of your favorite pastime. Making it special is the fact you don't have to deal with any traffic to speak of. Everybody is too busy feeding their faces on Thanksgiving Day, and then, of course, there are all those Black Friday sales events the next day to keep people occupied.
All you must do is make sure you wear enough warm clothing, have an abundant supply of your favorite hot beverage on hand, and go enjoy a Happy Thanksgiving Day your way--on the water.
No matter how you choose to celebrate the holiday, keep it safe.
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