Author / Cheryl Batavia

Unknown's avatar

Posts by Cheryl Batavia

A retired teacher and mother of three adult children, I live on the Gulf Coast of Florida with my soulmate, Robert. Leisure activities include discussing current events with Robert, watching movies, and playing Scrbble. Robert usually wins! I also enjoy going to the beach and taking road trips with my daughters. One of our favorite pastimes is observing the wonderful wildlife that surrounds us. I keep busy writing poetry, and I would be delighted if you visited my website!
by Cheryl Batavia

Gopher Tortoise

Gopher Tortoise, Photo by Aron Visuals from Unsplash

Gopher Tortoise

“Young man!…Hello!”

The boy was carrying

a gopher tortoise

toward the Gulf of Mexico.

“Don’t put that tortoise

in the water, please!

It’s not the kind of turtle

that travels the seas!”

“That’s an endangered

gopher tortoise, protected by law.”

“I didn’t know,” replied the boy.

“It’s the first one I ever saw!”

The boy put the tortoise

gently down on the sand,

and it crawled very slowly

up the beach to dry land.

I wish I had told the boy,

“Find ‘gopher tortoise’ in Wikipedia,

and tell your friends back home

how you found one in Florida!”

Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl Batavia

Blue & White Mugs

Photo by Cheryl Batavia

Blue & White Mugs

Blue and white souvenir mugs

in our Miami Beach drug store…

art deco and wildlife scenes…

I bought four!

The kids grew; we planned to travel…

They wanted to help push Dad’s chair.

I looked forward to collecting

blue and white mugs from everywhere!

A three-generation Carribean cruise…

Dad’s last-minute illness caused cancellation.

We scheduled a Carribean cruise

for our family vacation.

I spent a night in the hospital with Dad…

They failed to draw blood despite many tries.

Dad checked himself out before daybreak;

we drove to the beach and watched the sunrise.

Then we went home to pack our bags

for the final voyage of the Norway…

Mom, Dad, and kids sailed that afternoon.

We had decided to “seize the day!”

The kids and I snorkeled. Our family

explored islands, listened to steel bands,

dressed for dinner, went to shows…

and we bought a mug, as I had planned.

The Batavia Family aboard the Norwegian Ship, Norway

Dad died within the year. I put the

Carribean mug where it wouldn’t break,

fragile, precious souvenir of the

only family cruise we would ever take!

Years later, I retired to the Gulf coast.

Just one Miami Beach mug remained

when we moved to our new house.

I thought about putting that mug away…

I chose to use both irreplaceable mugs…

I have tea with my memories every day.

One day the mugs may break,

and that will be okay!

Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl Batavia

Fountain of Youth

Photo by Mrjn from Unsplash

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

by Cheryl Batavia

Candy Box

Box of Chocolates, Photo by Monique Carrati from Unsplash

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

by Cheryl Batavia

Everglades Gossip

Roseate Spoonbills, Photo by Julia Craice from Unsplash

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.”

Roseate Spoonbill by Joshua J Cotten from Unsplash

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.”

Roseate Spoonbill by Joshua J Cotten from Unsplash

“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.”

Flamingos, Photo by Dennis Eusebio from Unsplash

Reprinted from Hanging Out with Wild Animals II

Environmentally-themed book series for readers aged eight to twelve

Copyright© 2018 by Cheryl Batavia

by Cheryl Batavia

I Heard Your Name

Woman Floating in the Ocean, Photo by Jeremy Bishop from Unsplash

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

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.

Moon, photo by Rustell Mania from Unsplash

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

by Cheryl Batavia

Transitions

Rain Clouds by Didgeman from Pixabay

Transitions

As vapor in clouds

condenses and turns to rain,

so may I adapt.

Dandelion Seeds in Flight, Photo by Bruno from Pixabay

As wind carries seeds

to faraway locations,

let me move forward.

Sprouts, Photo by Alina Kuptsova from Pixabay

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

by Cheryl Batavia

Netting in Lemon Bay

Left to Right: Gulf of Mexico, Manasota Key, Lemon Bay. Photo by Jin from Adobe Stock

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!