Florida is so far away
For my daughter
1
A gaggle of sail boats
hover at the silver crack of eastern horizon
between the hazy grays of sky and lake.
The beach is almost abandoned
except for a few people and their dogs.
(I miss you little girl)
This early September morning in Milwaukee,
one of the last muggy summer days,
is warm to the touch
and cold to my heart.
Riding my bike along
paths cut next to Lake Michigan,
I contemplate the losses
of so many things.
You, summer, years gone bad,
filled with the pain of patience.
2
Inside the barrier reef of concrete,
the lake is calm and smooth.
Seagulls are hung out to dry
above me.
Steve Heins