Florida
We’re the love children
Of clingy, stiff air
Colliding as it blows off the Okefenokee
From one direction,
And the Everglades from another.
We’re the echoes of war chants
And battle cries,
Cascading with the morning dew and moisture
From battle fields of yore.
We’re beaches, and bonfires;
Barns, bales of hay, and businesses;
Saltwater running through our veins
And that singular admixture
Of caked mud and beach sand on our feet and sandals.
We’re theme parks and venues;
All pulsating with music and mirth,
Defying lockdowns and laughable doomsayers
With mouse ears, middle fingers, and guns.
We’re Gators, Noles, and Canes;
Knights, Bulls,
And all manner of mascot
At the wide-eyed, ever-aspirational prep levels;
We’re Friday Night Lights,
And Saturday morning sofas;
Tailgates and tail-riding on two-lane roads.
We’re hot summers,
Cool winters,
And damn near perfect springs.
We’re freedom, family, and firearms;
We’re generosity and gregariousness;
We’re orange construction cones and orange juice.
We’re the Sunshine State of mind;
Forever on your mind, and in your heart.
We are Florida. JWG 2022
