In Paradise

We nestle at the edge of a Florida swamp Where a misty morning Settles uneasily on the twisted canal Behind this house. A blue heron sails by Caught in a gust of summer wind, While an alligator’s bark breaks The eerie light of dawn. The scents of jasmine, Magnolia, and gardenia, Mingle with the colors of pink azaleas And Tangerine hibiscus. A hawk with a damaged wing Sinks talons into a rotting stump That was once a towering oak Draped in Spanish moss. The chimes I hung Clang out warnings To those who live In this world of sun and sand. Then the thunder of the hurricane Charges like a rhinoceros Through the tumbling trees And tangled growth. We crouch together On this flimsy back porch As my sibling grins at me In primitive anticipation. I mutter ancient prayers That we will dodge the beast When it finds us in paradise And hears my sister’s laughter.