Autumn in Florida
Autumn in Florida
Smug live oaks drop a leaf or two,
Acknowledging the time of year;
Droll cypress take from this their cue,
Turn rust as if their end is near.
But shocked by drops of two degrees,
And finding zephyrs icy gales,
Anoles* swear there’s been a freeze,
Grow numb and let us touch their tails.
Pallid souls in shortest shorts
Appear again along the shores,
While every native now resorts
To gloves and earmuffs out-of-doors.
*Those little Florida lizards that everyone calls chameleons
