walking stick

sun a bowl a flame a yolk

even in December

air thick with wingbeats

the mangroves

briny

reaching

concealing

a white ibis

a duet of ospreys

fish guts clenched streaming

like tinsel

across the salt licked canopy

at the end of a snaggle toothed boardwalk 

jutting across black marsh

a little blue heron bobs

between the fire flag

sleight of hand

slight heron

here, gone, there

 

retract my foot and we both crouch

a walking stick

slips

in and out of

mangrove shadow

fat, astral, glistening

on her back a mate

she'll probably devour

in the kindness of dusk

 

scanning the skies 

for swallow-tailed kites

finding instead

a litany of palm warblers

cloaked in scrub palmetto

a breath

a summons

a patient daughter

a voice skips

a ripple smoothes

see, there?

bobbing its tail?

you don't see

but you will

 

matching your stride

reminding myself

slow also moves

reminding myself

you braided my tangle of curls

every day of kindergarten

reminding myself

you greeted my 

grubby palmed

skinned knees

animal laden

can we keep him

arms

with bemused

just for awhile

cinnamon toast

offering

reminding myself

 

a1a stretches flat

shimmers with heat

shimmers with ghosts

of treasured

of lost

sticky with home

sweet with longing

we stoop for orange soft serve