One foot in the river.
 One foot on the shore.
  Both feet sunk in the mud.

The fisherman casts his net
   with perfect flick and spin,
 muck extruding between toes.

The sling is the one quick
   part of the movement:
quick, but unrushed.

The net is hauled back,
   slowly and methodically,
 pressing out excess water
   while offering no escape route.

How many casts per day?

As many as are necessary.

There are other fishers,
   out on languidly rocking boats,
 casting out in the river.

And in rivers everywhere:

   in the Mekong,
   the Amazon,
   the Euphrates,
   and the Mississippi Delta.

Everywhere, they are casting.