A poem:
Sun City Center
(Florida)
Whistler ducks chatter, gaily, overhead,
A woodpecker pesters a camphor tree,
By the hibiscus, a hummingbird is fed,
Blatant is the bougainvillea’s vanity.
Golf carts scurry to and fro’,
It’s a unique sight to see,
Golden sunsets, in a dazzling glow,
Fruitful is the citrus’` canopy.
People come from high and low,
The learned, the sower and the way-worn,
To dodge the sleet and drifting snow,
Or share the promise of the morn.
They come with baskets full of memories,
Long incised on the slab of life,
Packed with countless melodies
And auspicious winds, now rife.
They come to claim their genial sun,
To fid repose, is their propensity
And sate a craving, they’d previously shunned
Though older and hoary, they may be.
Classes and clubs, like wildflowers, here sprout,
From tennis, aerobics and photography,
To lure the mind from any self doubts
And nudge it closer to satiety.
If one’s spirits were mired in displeasure,
The garden club could surely redress,
Any ill, by anyone’s measure,
Like anxiety, boredom and stress.
When perplexity plagues one’s thoughts,
And older joints can, no longer, pretend,
Saunas and spas are frequently sought,
For needed relief and empathic friends.
If aquatics defines one’s fancy,
Pools cater to various needs,
To the fit and the ever so sprightly,
And to those who are frail and effete.
Golf, e’er defiant, lurks on the green,
While many flirt with arts and dance,
Still a few, content they seem,
Immersed in indifference.
If one seeks to rekindle the fire
And explore a lifestyle to remember,
He would find his own label and style,
Within the bounds of Sun City Center.
By Steve Montanaro
Author’s Profile
Steve Montanaro recently published his book An Immigrant’s Poetic Medley. He has studied in Italy and the United States and has been a recipient of numerous literary awards. He’s also a self taught artist who works with oils, acrylics, pastels and more. Steve served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant. He’s been residing in Sun City Center for the last fourteen years with Anna Maria, his wife of over fifty two years.
