Month / July 2020

by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Evolved Man

Photo of Robert Snyder by Cheryl Batavia

Evolved Man

Evolved in thought.

Not easily deluded.

Never self-deluded.

Laser-sharp focus on truth.

Divides the goats of reason

from the sheeep of folly.

Evolved in intellect,

educated, informed.

Repository of knowledge__

both factual and conceptual,

both trivial and profound.

Grounded, self-deprecating, wise.

Evolved in human interactions.

Eludes the treachery of villans,

never villanous.

Extends himself in acts of kindness,

expecting nothing in return.

Open, vulnerable, self-assured.

Evolved in his passions,

disciplined, moderate, civilized,

slow to anger.

Only in his libido,

primitive man survives evolution!

Reprinted from Wonders

Copyright© 2018 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Cicada, Cicada!

Adult Cicada, photo by Dan Keck, Pixabay

Cicada, Cicada!

For seventeen years,

You’ve been asleep.

Now, what kind of

schedule is that to keep?

Cicada, cicada,

you’ve slept too long!

Come out of your shell

and sing your song!

You’re sure to enjoy

the warm summer night.

Come out, Cicada…

Enjoy your first flight!

Empty Cicada Shell, photo by Yukie Chen from Pixabay

Many types of cicadas live in eastern North America. They are harmless herbivores. Eggs, laid in the bark of a tree, hatch into nymphs that burrow into the ground. They stay buried from one to 17 years, depending on the species. The entire group emerge from their shells at the same time, find mates, and lay their eggs. Only the males have a mating “song” made by vibrating a membrane on their abdomen. Their “chorus” adds music to the summer nights.

Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Rain

Ferns in the Rain, photo by Darius Krause from Pexels

Rain

Ribbons of light streaming down

implant moist kisses

on earth’s trembling mouth.

The green land, the green land

standing tall and crouching under…

the land that reaches for the sun

is stretching fingers to the rain.

Greens and golds

evidence the fertility of the mold…

Rain is a vibrant impregnation.

Published about 1966 in Nos Plumes,

Buffalo Gap High School Literary Magazine, by Cheryl Nicholson

Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Skunk, Tough Guy

Photo of Skunk by Bryan Padron from Unsplash

Skunk, Tough Guy

The skunk is the tough guy

of the American woods.

Black and white fur is a

warning well-understood.

A skunk can spray about ten feet.

You can smell it for miles

driving down the street.

Intimidated by his stinky spray,

when he stomps and hisses,

even bears back away!

Skunks at Their Den, photo by Bryan Padron from Unsplash

Except great horned owls,

skunks have little to fear.

Skunks eat ‘most anything

and live ‘most anywhere.

Insects, salamanders, moles

…their diet varies;

for desert, skunks love

sweet, juicy berries.

Immune to snake venom,

They eat rattlesnake meat.

With fur to protect them,

bees and wasps are a treat.

Spotted Skunk, photo by Bryan Padron from Unsplash

If you ever crowd a skunk,

don’t be surprised

if this tough guy sprays you,

and you’re ostracized.

Soap and tomato juice

won’t make ammends;

you’ll be kept at a distance

by all of your friends.

You’ll have time for your

smart phone, TV, and tunes.

No need to worry…

You’ll smell better soon!

Reprinted from Hanging Out with Wild Animals III

an environmentally-themed book series for ages eight to twelve

Copyright© 2019 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

White Pelican Island

White Pelican Island in the Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande, photo by Cheryl Batavia

White Pelican Island

Everywhere in Florida

you see brown pelicans…

They are frequently-observed,

year-round residents .

The more reclusive white pelicans

appear in fall and winter

at White Pelican Island and other

secluded Florida locations!

Photo of Brown Pelicans from Adobe Stock

During the winter season,

white pelicans migrate from

Louisiana to their second home,

White Pelican Island

in the Gasparilla Sound.

White Pelicans on Sanibel Island, photo by Diane Gainforth from Pixabay

Why do white pelicans migrate to

Florida, brown pelican territority?

Maybe, like human”snowbirds,”

they just like the warmer weather!

Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Barefoot

Wading in the Creek, Image by Pezibear from Pixabay

Barefoot

Bright spring afternoon

wading barefoot in the creek,

scooping up tadpoles.

Warm summer evening

running barefoot through the grass,

fireflies in a jar.

Blue-sky autumn day,

playing barefoot in leaf piles,

watching geese fly south.

Cold winter morning,

barefoot in new-fallen snow…

screaming and laughing!

Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

My Time in Prisons

Image of Alcatraz Island by nocloset from Pixabay

My Time in Prisons

Locked down!

Imprisoned by the pandemic…

I think of all the prisons

I have visited.

Fort Christian in

Charlotte Amalie,

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

300-year-old Danish fort,

later, St. Thomas Prison.

Then the dungeon

became a museum.

We toured the dungeon

at Fort Christian.

I remember the coolness

and the rough, thick walls

covered with graffiti…

artwork and obscenities,

messages from inmates

killing time.

Alcatraz, San Francisco Bay.

Once a lightouse, military fort,

and military prison…

then a federal prison.

Abandoned…

then occupied by protesting

Native Americans…

Now a museum.

We visited the cell block,

rusting human cages

and peeling paint…

We thought about the movie,

true story of an inmate,

“Birdman of Alcatraz”

who shared his food with birds.

This was the place

where Al Capone,

famous American gangster,

served time for tax evasion.

They never proved

his other crimes.

We toured a modern day

model prison in California…

remarkably like a college campus!

No graffiti here!

Locked down!

Imprisoned by the pandemic

and writing graffiti…

photos and poems

posted on my blog.

Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Brotherhood

Bottlenose Dolphins by Duncan Noakes from Adobe Stock Photos

Brotherhood

Blood, wherever it is shed,

is universally blood red.

We have ancient hates and fears.

We all shed bitter tears.

All over the face of the earth,

families celebrate a baby’s birth.

Universally, people share love

and look to the skies above

seeking hope and inspiration.

We all know setbacks and frustration,

but in our dreams, we all can see

a world of brotherhood and peace.

Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

World View

World View

If I know myself,

my self-concept is not based

on what others say.

If I am honest,

I won’t waste my potential

deceiving myself.

Having confidence,

I approach life with courage,

not averse to risk.

Having self respect,

I won’t lower myself

showing others disrespect.

If I love justice,

I won’t elevate myself

keeping others down.

If I love myself,

I find it easier to

love my fellow man.

Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia