Ravensong Poetry And Writing Blog by Donovan Baldwin

As a boy, 

Half a hundred years ago,

I lay sleepless, 

Shirtless,

Sweat trickling,

Sheets sticking to me,

The one window of my room open,

Old box fan

Droning in the corner.

I dreamed and imagined all sorts of things,

But never thought

To dream about a cooler place.

In Florida in the Summer, heat was...

And humidity went without saying.

So, each Summer night,

A few steps short of misery, 

I lay awake for hours,

Mind traveling along the corridors

Built by images made from

The books I read incessantly.

Later,

Girls and cars having been discovered,

And cars,

At least,

Conquered,

Hot nights became cooler,

Driving down Palafox Street

With windows down, 

Or,

Out to the Gulf Of Mexico.

Eventually,

Hot Florida nights included

Two A.M. feedings,

And the occasional rush

To an emergency room.

Now, no longer in Florida,

I have air conditioning, 

But...

Still often lie awake,

Sleepless, sticky with sweat, 

As the medicine works

To slow the progress of

The cancer within.

...Which the boy never imagined.

On nights like these,

My mind wanders up and down

Even more corridors, 

Including those built by more books,

And a half century of living.

No more chasing girls

Or driving up and down Palafox,

Or to the bay,

In the moonlight...

Except in my memory,

When I remember...

Hot Florida nights.

Labels: boy, cancer, donovan baldwin, Florida, Gulf Of Mexico, man

# posted by Donovan Baldwin @ 4:00 AM