Covid-closed tavern
Unlikely to reopen –
Vociferous stillness
The Prince of Wales English Pub
st augustine
Early Morning on Aviles Street
The sun has cleared the horizon beyond the inlet,
And now, to the rhythm of the nearing street sweeper’s brushes,
The homeless man gathers his things at night’s bench,
And the shopkeepers re-tidy their window displays from within.
Finally, the tour trollies leave their garage,
As the tourists settle their breakfast charges.
Oh, Aviles, brace ye for the approaching wave.
Spanish Street Tourism Lull
Quiet street
Quiet walk
Quiet mind
Quiet street
Toward the Sons of St. Augustine Statue in Summer
It was cooler here in the covered archway,
Protected from a ruthless sun
And shirt-soaking sticky wet air.
A voice whispered, “Linger here, what’s your hurry?”
But, I was drawn toward the light ahead,
Like some moth to a seductive flame.
Seeking clearer sight in spite of
Sun’s summer fury
Street Tease
Screened door on Charlotte Street,
Rooted in its garden wall,
Offers a glimpse of Eden,
But denies re-entrance to all.
Pilgrim’s Journey: Preface
At day-break
I head north on St George.
Tourists linger still in motels
So I walk unhindered
In the cool morning calm.
.
As if directed, my gaze shifts
From sunlit fronds
To a shaded area up ahead
Where the street bends to the west
And a vague whispered promise beckons.
Irony
For four hundred years and more,
These walls of time-compressed shells,
Designed to absorb English shot,
Excel now in reflecting sun’s early light.
Sun’s Sentinel
Hugging the shore of Matanzas Bay,
Old coquina walls, built facing east
To scour the inlet for enemy fleets,
Now lay deep in sleep each incoming day.
Photography Exhibition Announcement
Nonstick Notions
Two small shrimpers, aging yet able,
Secured for repairs toward the end of the dock,
Spark brief fancies of high sea daring do
In passerby who’ll never try to depart.
Vilano Images 