The Journey (poem)

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The Journey - a poem written during our trip to Miami this past Christmas.

The Journey

©Amelia L. Williams 2008

The smell of salt water, the prospect
of seeing something other than highway,
drew us down a winding road to the marsh refuge.
Fat crabs hid under the rocks in the estuary, egrets lifted their legs carefully,
a heron stood like another branch next to a bush,
then pounced on something with its long bill. Merganser ducks
and American widgeons paddled the ponds.

Roseate spoonbills, heaped
on the bushes like dollops of cherry ice cream,
bills tucked away, had us tumbling out of the car once again,
binoculars in hand, threatening the fragile truce
(“It’s time to go now, no more stops. We’ve seen enough birds.”)
among six travelers of frayed nerve with miles
of wearying road yet to go. No more time for gawking at nature.

Gelato clouds float in the Florida sky,
the sea-level land so flat these frothy shapes
form part of the landscape; the fringed palms
reach up to catch them.

The allure of just stopping
to feel the actual place,
taste and smell the air, get ground under our feet
meets up with the pull of the onward journey,
the pleasure of progress, the anticipation of arrival,
family or friends who await, marvelous sights.

At the beach the swelling jewel-colored sea
is compelled to shore in foamy wavelets
to stroke the fine white Florida sand
for as long as it takes the sand crabs to feed,
as long as a backward glance at the row of lavender, pistachio, and pink hotels,
and then pulls back.
On our journey we will come to this fine line again and again.

4-8-08

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Photos

Roseate Spoonbills
Roseate spoonbills at Merritt Isalnd Wildlife Refuge

Comments

[Alyssa]

Wonderful Amelia!
I love the poem! It really captures the majestic Florida scenery.