Florida Poem

In the mangrove trees the upside down jellyfish lay on the floor
Pulsating in a neon glow
The barracuda glides on top of the brackish water
Where the Florida salt water meets the fresh
This oasis exists on the canal by my home

I lower my canoe down the dock onto the intercostal way
Where the winds can carry you right out to sea
Take a left but veer right to avoid
The tugboats and water taxis that share the path
Another right past the old folks home
Where the sunbathers leathered and bronze sit and gab
About the clouds blocking the rays
A little further under the canopies the only chatter
Comes from the parrots and the fiddler crabs
Sinking by the hundred into their homes as I pass by

I'm alone but not alone surrounded by sentient beings
Clustered in groups of their likeness
The schools of needle nose fish and the flocks of parrots
The juvenile butterfly fish paired off for life
Even the barnacles band together
Holding tightly to the hull of my canoe
I am on my own but I am never alone