our cycle closes
with a capital bike ride
and a pointed view
with paths everywhere
this city has won my heart
even in the heat
where honor presides
through a symmetrical stroll
of fallen soldiers
DC mixes all:
museums, monuments, paths
marking past; future.
we find ourselves here
remembering our lost dreams
in these reflections
a cultural mix
in language, architecture
(our country’s center)
library of all
holds too many gems to count
a sight for sore eyes
best of both worlds:
fusbol, patatas bravas
right here in DC
best of all worlds:
my family together, here,
discovering this.
Pappy and grandkids
as we begin the last leg
of this journey: life
his hometown forest
waits for us with him in it:
the perfect campsite
finally the bikes
double trouble, burning sun
made for a slow ride
but cousin time rocks
framed by wispy sand dune sky
and genuine grins
crawfish, anyone?
one last island shell cracking
to salt our way home
and we saw gators!
controlled, farmed, easy to feed
better there than here
Girl Scout Headquarters
mixed with colonial wealth
(built on the slaves’ backs)
sometimes beauty’s marred
history’s hard to swallow
amid perfect squares
yet we walk through it
splashing, playing giant chess,
our steps going on
pieces of our past
even when they’re earned with blood
mark a clear future:
we can absorb this,
take pics, eat gator, and grin,
hoping we’ve moved on
(though the shadows know
of King Cotton, oppressed girls,
Sherman’s burning march)
we can’t have it all
the vacation, family… peace
without the whole truth
we can just love them
hope they never see the dark
(only the beauty)
forts can be pretty
and with alligator moats
quite exciting, too
hobbit holes exist
if you travel far enough
to open your eyes
cousin love binds us
just as beaches and waves do
under our shared sky
biking brings beauty
along every road we ride
from mountains to coast
much needed beach day
rediscovering the wind
with our love rainbows
oldest Florida site
enthralls us like we’re in Spain
(memories abound)
coquina fortress
built on the sweat from slaves’ backs
(engineering feat)
defense of this sight:
gleaming harbor colony
(worth the protection)
a dogged day’s drive
at the end of this journey
(worth the distraction)
history, not mice:
Florida is more than Disney
(all they need to know)
from a fighting ride
to playing dolls on the beach;
camp beauty parlor
love my travelers–
though they bicker and complain–
the road unites them
only each other
to entertain, love, and learn
making their journey
under this bright moon
as it waxes our return
to everywhere home
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