Shake
        my fountain pen awake!

Write in slow, careful characters
        handsome miniscules, majascules ornate
                and patiently wait

bide the time this way –
        a mixture of calligraphy and fishing

an ink angler am I
        on a great white papery sea,
        luring up my sustenance, fishy stuff,
                from the depths below
                        one
                                fancy
                                        letter
                                                at a time –

little hooks are they
        to catch the words I hadn’t known I wanted to say
        a letter to catch a word, a word to catch more words

A method that hasn’t failed yet:

slowly draw a letter,
        artfully,
                and wait
                        until a fresh idea floats up and bites the bait

        unless a whole school comes,
                and then I use a net.