Sailboat swings in midnight’s breeze,
Rocking the crew below to sleep.
Waterfront buildings light the quay
As eve gives way to Christmas day.
Holy Night in St Augustine
Matanzas Bay
Fresh Start
The sun rises over the Matanzas Inlet,
Washing the facades of the waterfront shops
And stirring the family asleep below deck.
First gift of a good morning.
Parted Waters
Four hours into the outgoing tide,
I walk the wetlands’ uncovered paths
Aiming for the north shore of Matanzas Bay
And the spotted seatrout that frequent there.
Morning at Castillo de San Marcos
The paths by the sea are quiet this early in the day
As the sun rises over the Matanzas Bay Inlet,
Gifting golden rays to the eastern walls and trees.
First Stanza
The Jubilee approached St. Augustine Inlet
In the calm-watered, first light of the morning.
Unknown to her captain, three leagues east
An exceedingly strong storm was forming.
Vilano Images 