The Poor Fisherman (Pierre Puvis De Chavannes)

#57

The man's greatest weapon is patience.
He can stand and wait, perfectly still,
As long as the elements don't interfere.
He doesn't believe in anything but chance.
Though he cannot eat what he cannot kill,
An empty net is not his deepest fear.
The boy is still healthy, but he worries Aimee
Has become pale and her milk is gone.
She gathers useless flowers and sings,
"They are not for me, but for my family."
He thinks the same of the sea and sun.
At times, when the bay is full of nothing,
Exhausted by his empty regrets,
He dreams himself diving into the net.