I missed it.
We traded the fiery furnace of fall in Maine
For the steaming boiler of simmering summer in Florida,
And while I was grateful to leave the cold,
I missed the paradox of deep gray claustrophobic skies
Enhancing the scarlet and gold of autumnal celebration.
When I retrieved this photograph from two years ago
With a boat listing at low tide in Prospect Harbor,
I was there, with no time in between, a timeless moment
Encapsulating all the embers of the end of October–
The perfect ending to the chapter of another year with
Esthetic sustenance beyond the tropical hues we treasure in Tampa.
Peter Stilton Tampa November 4, 2019