An October Day in Florida

I remember that Sunday in October.

It was as glorious and bountiful

as any you could have ever imagined.

The heat and humidity that usually accompany such a day in Florida

Were nowhere to be found.

When you stepped out into the glowing day,

you were kissed by the sunshine,

And you were as happy to see it as a family member

you hadn’t seen in many a moon.

As far as the eye could see, there were cobalt blue skies

punctuated by little white clouds,

barely perceptible to the naked eye.

There was enough of a breeze to make you smile,

as you do when a puppy licks your cheeks.

It buffeted your hair and made the trees sway

like dancers behind a vaudeville singer.

Walking around on that October Sunday in Florida

made you feel aglow, like you’re supposed to walk around being.

For me, it was close enough to my birthday

that I felt like I had received an early gift from Nature herself.

I closed my eyes and wondered how it could be better.

Maybe about ten or fifteen degrees cooler, I reasoned.

Maybe I’m driving through the sloping streets where

I grew up.

Maybe the leaves are the brightest oranges and yellows in the world.

Just like I’m told they were

The day I came home after I was born.