Winter In Florida Poem by Clyde King

Yes, Florida does have a winter
but you've got to look quickly
or you'll miss it.

You can tell when the leaves
leave the tree and when the days
get cooler. Mosquitos aren't as bad
and the grass stops growing, thankfully.

The wind is out of the North
and brings cold fronts with it. People,
especially girls, like to wear their
knee high boots and mufflers.
And you see children all wrapped
up like breakable toys. Gosh,
winter is no big deal here.

But when the Gulf gets cold
the rainbow trout are running.
What for? I don't know. But
it's good fishing in the winter,
when the snook, tarpon and trout
are waiting for you to catch them.

And another big clue it's winter
in the land of sun and flowers-
'snow birds' that are not
the feathered kind, they are of
mankind, an oxymoron if I ever heard one.

Dec.2020