This place is not the place for me year round
But the temperature is right for now
And the beaches are lovely
And the swamps are full of wildlife
In the second week of our third month in Florida
There’s a repeat loop to our experience
What we see and do every day
Going on walks in nature preserves
We’re not heading back home until the birds fly north
Not until the trees leaf out in the middle of April
Returning to the Appalachian bedrock scraped by the glaciers
Going to a landscape of varied geology and habitats
There's a flat sameness here with no elevation change
With everything barely above sea level
Built on slabs on mounds inches above the water table
Even as the rising sea creeps further inland
For sure it's an excellent place for a seasonal stay
To escape the confines of bitter cold weather
That draws so many others like us to come as well
But if not for winter we wouldn't be here
If not for so many things our lives would be different
Looking back on our circumstances and choices
And all the events that have shaped our time
But here we are still keeping on keeping on
For as long as we can we plan to continue this way
Freed from the daily tasks of work to pay the bills
No longer anchored to a job or any place
Just letting the days we have show up and come to us
