Fields of Fantasy
Go to sleep, my child…
Roam in fields of fantasy,
swim in streams of dreams.
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Fields of Fantasy
Author / Cheryl Batavia
Fountain of Youth
Fountain of Youth
Thirty years ago,
I drank from the Fountain of Youth
discovered by Spanish explorer,
Juan Ponce De Leon,
in St. Augustine, Florida.
The only change I noticed
was the taste of sulfur in the water!
My hair continued to turn gray;
the wrinkles deepened in my face.
If there were a Fairy Godmother
granting wishes to all who drink the water
at the Fountain of Youth,
I wouldn’t wish for hair dye
or a face lift or clothes
from the trendy store in the mall.
I wouldn’t ask to be fluent
in the latest slang…
These things can’t bring back youth!
If there were a Fairy Godmother
granting wishes to all who drink the water
at the Fountain of Youth,
I’d ask to have a youthful outlook…
Curiosity to continue learning,
Idealism to envision a better future,
Creativity to express our dreams.
Passion to work for positive change.
Yes, Fairy Godmother,
I wish to THINK young!
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Candy Box
Candy Box
A gold foil candy box
was my treasure chest;
candy was a sweet gift,
but the box was the best!
I filled it with love letters
and treasured photos
collected over a period
of five years or so.
I carried the box around
for more than fifty years.
This year, the box fell apart,
and I didn’t shed any tears.
I looked at the photos,
read the letters once more,
put them all in the trash,
and walked out the door.
We moved to our new house,
vowing we’d never move again.
Memories fade, but the photos
and letters are burned on my brain.
I remember a boy with slicked-back
hair and a crooked grin
and a handsome football player
who wanted me to marry him.
Then there was a fearless boy
who helped me learn to drive
and several others who
passed through my life.
I put the box away
when I married at eighteen…
and now the mementos are gone,
but the memories remain.
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Everglades Gossip
Everglades Gossip
A roseate spoonbill was overheard to say,
“You’ll never guess who I saw today!
Gone from the Everglades for a hundred years,
flamingos have settled not far from here.”
The second spoonbill said, “It will be nice, I think,
having neighbors who also like to wear pink.
Maybe they won’t brag that their legs are longer,
or argue that their beaks are stronger.”
“We will have to be tactful and kind,”
said the first spoonbill, “and pay no mind
to flamingos’ skinny necks and feathery heads.
Some things are better left unsaid.”
“We have a lot in common. Let’s focus on that,”
said the second spoonbill. “We’ll have a chat
with our new neighbors. I think it will be good
to welcome flamingos back to the neighborhood.”
Reprinted from Hanging Out with Wild Animals II
Environmentally-themed book series for readers aged eight to twelve
Copyright© 2018 by Cheryl Batavia
I Heard Your Name
I Heard Your Name
I walked through surf,
heart pounding,
blood rushing,
and I thought of you.
The sun warmed me,
cheered me,
and sparkled on the water,
and I saw your smile.
The sea held me,
rocked me, and
gently stroked my face,
and I felt your touch.
The breeze and
the seabirds and
the little waves spoke to me,
and I heard your name.
Reprinted from Wonders
Copyright© 2018 by Cheryl Batavia
Morning Walk
Florida Woods, Photo by Cheryl Batavia
Morning Walk
On a humid August morning,
heading out the door,
I am greeted by the sweet fragrance
of cabbage palms in bloom.
Long strands of Spanish moss,
gracefully draping oak trees
and swaying in the breeze,
glimmer silver in the sunshine.
Vulture, Photo by Mark Boos from Unsplash
High above the trees,
vultures glide magnificently
beneath a fading slice of moon,
pale against an azure sky.
Cicadas sing ubiquitously.
I pause to rest in the shade
of a sprawling oak tree;
the cicada chorus is deafening here!
I pass a sandy clearing
where gopher tortoises
like to sun themselves…
They seem to be in their burrows today.
Photo of black-eyed-susan by Cheryl Batavia
Some wildflowers are still blooming,
scattered along the edge of the woods…
my favorite black-eyed-susans
and some bright gold coreopsis.
Beauty berries, tiny green spheres
clustered along the branches,
are ripening to a vivid magenta,
a favorite food of birds.
Gulf Fritillary Buterfly, Photo by Jonathan Borba from Unsplash
Gulf Fritillary butterflies,
orange against the green,
flutter along the quiet street
as I head for home.
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Transitions
Transitions
As vapor in clouds
condenses and turns to rain,
so may I adapt.
As wind carries seeds
to faraway locations,
let me move forward.
As soil welcomes seeds,
may my mind be receptive
to new ideas.
May sunshine relentlessly
enlighten me, mind and soul!
Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia
Netting in Lemon Bay
Netting in Lemon Bay
For several hours that morning, in blazing sun,
our group waded in the knee-deep muck
of Lemon Bay, netting sea creatures
and collecting them in pails. Then we gathered
on shore with the naturalist to observe and
discuss the animals we had found:
juvenile flounder, shrimp, tiny crabs…
I left a bit early because I had a lunch date
with a man who lived nearby.
We had been communicating on Plenty of Fish
and were meeting for the first time.
Woops! There were no showers at the park!
I cleaned up the best I could with a wet towel.
Still sweaty on top and muddy on the bottom,
I went to meet my date at Chili’s.
We met in the parking lot with a hug
and a kiss on the cheek, not my usual handshake.
We talked for two hours over chicken fajitas.
Time flew by! I felt I had known him forever!
…That’s how I met my soul mate!
Reprinted from Life in Inspiring Places
Copyright© 2019 by Cheryl Batavia
Robert and I have been together for six very happy years since that meeting at Chili’s. I was sixty-five, and he was sixty-six when we met. My husband had been dead for over twelve years before I started dating, and I had nearly given up on ever finding a soul mate… someone with whom I have so much in common!
Hanging Out with Stingrays
Hanging Out with Stingrays
I was visiting the pelicans on Naples Pier;
the sun was bright, and the water was clear,
I saw a school of stingrays far below,
swimming in The Gulf of Mexico.
Stingrays are flat fish with “wings”
and long, skinny tails with barbs that sting.
Swimming in schools, they stir up sand
to find their dinner of oysters and clams.
I wanted to join the rays…what a fun thing to do!
“Don’t step on them, and they won’t sting you,”
a nearby fisherman advised.
“Shuffle your feet and they’ll move aside.”
I shuffled my feet, and I stayed with the rays
’till the sun was setting at the end of the day.
Hanging out with stingrays was a lot of fun…
I was tired and sunburned, but I didn’t get stung.
I learned that serious injury from stingrays is rare,
but incidents sometimes do occur.
Although I won’t overreact if I encounter a stingray,
I won’t wade with schools of rays like I did that day.
Stingrays in touch tanks have their barbs removed.
Some stingray encounters are sting-free too.
Stingrays enjoy being petted and like to play.
I’d hang out with stingrays at aquariums any day!
Reprinted from Hanging Out with Wild Animals III
Environmentally-themed book series for ages eight to twelve
Copyright© 2019 by Cheryl Batavia
Rain on the Roof
Rain on the Roof
Dawn, rain on the roof,
magnificent thunder storm.
Cuddling with you.
Reprinted from Wonders
Copyright© 2018 by Cheryl Batavia
Gulf Coast Poet 