Fly Fishing Elbow

Fly Fishing Elbow
Care to read and comment on the old man and the sea?

Old man and sea

They said he was too old
said he had bad luck, hadn’t
caught a fish in eighty four days.
They teased him,
but from behind
saw the muscular back
strong neck
and powerful arms
needed to confront great fish.

I know I look old, he thought,
but don’t let that mislead.
I am no fool. I know the ways
of the birds,
the flying fish, and
signs of the sea
I know

I am the man who arm
wrestled, and won the
champion from Casablanca:
elbows down, hands grasped, faces tense.
For two days, and one night we struggled.
I am DiMaggio, playing ball in pain.
I am the lions on the African beach.
I am King of the jungle
I am

A master fisherman.
and the Marlin surged swelling the
water like a rippling
skyscraper and
with raw stinging hands
he grasped the hot slicing rope
and the fish surged once again
with beauty and power.

I respect you fish
but I must kill you

I reckon there's another part to this story that Ernest Hemingway intended as the moral/message or even the crux of the story. This part goes along well with everyday life under such bad economy.
If you intend to (poetize) that part, I suggest you change the wording of the last two lines -- especially the last --- with lines acquiring higher poetic tone, and serve as appetizer and stage preparatory for the next part.
Killing the fish wasn't the Old Man's ultimate goal nor was his primary intention, but challenges of life were.

This version is magnificent, ma'am! You caught those moments of struggle brilliantly!

elbow lake fishing trip