Saltwater Is Good For The Soul

Crescent Beach

Turtle Beach

Siesta Key Beach

The Gulf, 1987 by Deborah Paredez

The Gulf, 1987
By Deborah Paredez

The day upturned, flooded with sunlight, not
a single cloud. I squint into the glare,
cautious even then of bright emptiness.
We sit under the shade, Tia Lucia
Showing me how white folks dine, the high life.
I am about to try my first oyster,
Tia spending her winnings from the slots
on a whole dozen, the glistening valves
wet and private as a cheek's other side,
broken open before us. Don't be shy.
Take it all in at once. Flesh and sea grit,
sweet meat and brine, a taste I must acquire.
In every split shell, the coast's silhouette.
bodies floating in what was once their home.

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