If you leave me
The clouds will split open like coconuts
Acid milk will pour over your cities
Lightning will flash, skinny like my fingers
I will pry through the sky to reach you
I will travel through time to reach you
If you leave me
The wolves will howl
They will come for your flock of sheep
Blood will spill, dark like my hair
It will spread into your rivers
It will spread into your veins
If you leave me
Storms will follow
Crashing against the coast of Sarasota
Searching for you
You will be haunted by agony
You will be haunted by memories
If you leave me
I will cry an ocean
But if you don't
I will crumble to pieces
We will die if we part
We will disappear if we stay
Reading fridge magnets; surprised how interesting,
the world is when stamped into rubber decals.
Rome, Ankara, both Buda and Pest.
Watching a colorful rolling diorama,
pictographs tumbling over a flat white-scape.
Images recalling airport loudspeakers,
beeping taxi cabs and swaying camels.
I nod at a graphic depiction of a flight of pelicans,
bombing Florida,
imagine Sarasota sheltering under torrents of guano.
There is a decal from Mongolia, the magnet reads:
“Welcome to sunny Ulan Bator!" China is reduced to a
bowl of rice with dragons swooping for crumbs
much like London pidgins.
The Roman colosseum nudges Egyptian pyramids,
old lovers, slowly crumbling away.
I don’t see one for Ohio; maybe they only sell them
in Michigan…for target practice.
The fridge is a travel guide for those that sip morning coffee,
and wonder should they even get dressed today.
Slips marked and mapped across the intercoastal waterways
a scanning breached out of high low tidal waves,
silent, still, obscure, and not well hidden
liveaboards hold steady isolated sheltered misgivings;
embedded and anchored in place
buoys secure contested living space,
Matanzas Pass, Sarasota fields, Titusville and Sunset Bay
the Gulf Stream Key Largo flow a mainstay;
honker down between the wind, the rain, and sun
vessels sturdy and rickety, short and long - all come,
house and home hum interludes for a sing-along,
push aways and pull in tights
safeaways and derelicts amidst stormy plights
resident and transient, occupied and abandoned
faceless vacancies, sequestered and random,
marinas and harbors within hurricane holds in tandem,
dockmasters and dock slips. environmental folds alluring
beleaguered and bewildered landlocked sailors touring
in their trawlers, boats, cruisers and yachts adoring
September shelters in the Florida moorings.
There once was a jerk from Sarasota
Who fondled a nice girl named Dakota
She sued him for cause
To control his paws
To avoid time, he fled in a Toyota.
written July 26, 2021
Deep beneath the emerald-green water
Off the coast of Sarasota, Florida,
Five young divers and an experienced spotter
Searched for the so-called blue hole “Amberjack.”
We skirted the edges down a hundred feet
And soon found ourselves facing darkness
[Even with our T-H Marine LED lamps], before
Facing shark-rich depths, a perilous feat.
Keeping an eye on our lowering oxygen gauges
We had signaled to slowly ascend in five
When we spotted a pair of amberjack sharks
Entertaining for us, an experience for the ages.
HONORABLE MENTION
Written on May 13, 2021
For "Blue Hole" Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Anthony Biaanco
Feathered Brazilian brown hair with eyes that match.
Red lips,Skinny brows with mascara thick on each lash.
Skin tone honey roasted cashew.
Body scarred from self harm and all she had been through.
Felonies,misdemeanors and a diploma.
From Great kills,Staten Island to the beaches of Clearwater and Sarasota.
Vodka on the rocks with a splash of diet coke.
Mirror, a straw and lines of coke.
She always made you laugh With every joke.
Even though,Throughout my childhood my mom was an addict.
There is no other women, I would of rather spent my life with.
Taught me how to be ok with surviving by myself.
Showed me some life choices will have you buried or displayed on a shelf.
I’ve learned from all your mistakes. So, I choose love over wealth.
I was born the black sheep to break the family cycle for my own health.
To ensure, I face the life. I try to create with my best self.
I almost went to Florida
To visit with my aunt
Until the virus landed
And my plans it did supplant.
I almost got a chance to see
A Sarasota treat.
The Ringling exhibition
Would have made the trip complete.
I almost got to quilting class
To start on something new
And as to when I’ll get there,
Well, I haven’t got a clue.
I almost got to go to Greece,
A long-awaited tour.
Perhaps next year I’ll have the chance
To get there and explore.
I almost got to see my play
Produced up on the stage.
I almost got to celebrate
My birthday’s special age.
I almost got to keep
My Friday babysitting dates.
Though FaceTime helps a bit
A lot of hugging yet awaits.
I almost got to live my life
Without this daily fear.
I’m hoping that these almosts
Will, at some point, disappear.
Reading my fridge magnets,
I’m surprised how interesting
the world is
when stamped into rubber decals.
Rome, Ankara, both Buda and Pest.
I watch an oscilloscope between my ears,
the spikes are a sort of travel language
spoken only by bedbugs and vagabonds.
I nod at a graphic depiction
of pelicans bombing Florida.
I remember you and Sarasota.
"Yea," I say, rubbing my chin,
Sarasota is where bedrooms bloom
in the morning light.
I don’t see a magnet for Ohio.
Maybe they sell them in Michigan…
for target practice.
Beautiful days with our parents
We lived at the beautiful house with our relatives.
Swimming was a favorite hobby,
Our parents had taught us all to swim.
We would go to the fitness institute,
I would like swimming the breast stroke, the crawl, the back stroke, the dolphin.
Our mother liked the breast stroke,
Father liked the back stroke.
I remember when we went to the Limetree, Sarasota,
The love for swimming continued.
They had a beautiful resort swimming pool,
Relatives and friends would swim there.
You would be very refreshed when coming out of the water,
They had a nice restaurant where you could get a lunch.
I miss those days, with my relatives, what a blessing from God,
Good memories stay with you forever.
Author: Gwen von Erlach Schutz
The sandy beach awaited the celebration,
We were with relatives and friends.
We had a lovely dinner together,
After dinner we went out on the porch facing the beach.
I had collected shells which I had displayed on the bench
Shells of varying shapes and sizes.
They had fireworks profiled with excellence,
The sky was the background for the display.
We were with our favorite companions,
Enjoying the warmth of the Sarasota weather.
A midnight swim in the swimming pool guested,
We all liked swimming, our parents had taught us.
i wore a royal purple swim suit especially for the Christmas holidays,
My relatives liked swimming in the swimming pool.
A glass of champagne guested where we celebrated the New Year,
With relatives, friends and good neighbors.
We retired in the evening to our very comfortable and somewhat posh
condominium,
These are good memories that God and our parents have given us.
Author: Gwen von Erlach Schutz
The beautiful St. Armands, Sarasota, Florida,
A holiday with my children Kirk and Erik and my parents.
The timeshare at the beach,
Owned by Dr. Erika and Dr. Wolf.
Condominium was exquisitely decorated,
My sons Kirk and Erik stayed with me.
There was a beautiful white sandy beach,
Where we would go for long walks and collect sea shells.
We would go dinning at the nearby restaurant ,
Which had delicious foods, my favorite was the place by the sea.
I collected sea shells of different shapes and sizes,
My favorite shell was the abalone which I received complimentary when i bought a necklace.
My mother and I went shopping together,
I also bought T-shirts for my sons.
Mother would also invite us for dinner, she would cook a delicious dinner,
That is a very good memory, we would visit with my sister Antje and mom and dad.
Those our days to remember , blessed by God,
We returned safely to our parents' Lorne Park house.
Author: Gwen von Erlach Schutz
When on vacation with my children and parents,
We had a beautiful timeshare where we lived.
There was a beautiful sandy beach in front of the condominium,
You could walk for miles and collect beautiful shells.
We could walk over to our parents' timeshare,
Visit with my sister and parents,
Our mother would cook a delicious lunch,
We would all come over to dine or we would go to a beautiful restaurant.
The roar of the ocean could be heard as you walk along the beach,
I liked collecting shells, packed them in a cookie tin.
Brought them back to Canada, sand filled shells,
Memories of the exquisite days visiting Sarasota.
We would visit St. Armands, a lovely place to buy T-shirts and fashions,
I bought a beautiful abalony necklace and they gave me a complimentary shell.
Those were the beautiful days to remember with our relatives,
God blesses us this and many ways.
author: Gwen von Erlach Schutz
I remember the exclusive Walt Disney days,
We used to travel there with our parents.
Stayed at a beautiful timeshare Limetree, Sarasota.
Then we visited the Walt Disney kingdom.
Father Dr. Wolf would drive us there,
We bought tickets for Walt Disney world.
Our parents were just the nicest parents you could know,
There was a parade when you came to visit.
They had many activities, my recollection of those days is limited.
Many nice boutiques, I purchased two T shirts for Kirk and Erik,our sons.
We would walk along the white sandy beach and collect sea shells,
Then we would travel to St. Armands on the bus for twenty-five cents.
We dined at the exclusive harbor restaurant and the hotel restaurant,
Our mother and father used love to take us dinning.
Our timeshare was right on the beach,
You could walk for hours, what a beautiful sunrise and sunset each day.
Author:Gwen von Erlach Schutz
To my graduation as Massage Therapist from SSMT
(Sarasota School of Massage Therapy).
The year has passed. Whole year. Anazing.
At first, it seemed like so long.
But then the school, its stuff and training
Made year feel short and me feel strong.
There been some challenges and testings.
The Clinic. Positives and not.
But here's the thing where we have saying -
If hard in school, in life it's soft.
A year ago I wrote something
About energy... massage.
Then - I was young, but now got smarter.
Will say the same, but on level up.
To heal, we touch a body - super.
Next step to touch a Soul - so true.
So, lets start from the Matter,
That's where our school comes through.
I made great friends from the beginning.
And then I came to realize -
The whole SSMT has meaning,
It's one big family for life.
April 14, 2017
No Longer Need A Circus
There are things that may make me nervous;
Something was now missing from the surface;
Has gone away and can no longer be found,
Even though as much as I often look around;
Did disappear the presence of a great circus.
So sad that in May the B and B Circus
will be having its last show. Am not
sure where it will be at though. There
headquarters is in the Sarasota, Florida
area.
James Serious Mysterious Horn
Retired Veteran and Poet
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