Ocean Reef

Ocean Reef had mangroves
swampy low trees in the Florida Keys

Ocean Reef had horseflies the size of baby shoes
a lagoon with porpoises named Candy and Cesar
my friend David and I swam with
but then we had to get out
once a big blue bubble floated past me
Portuguese man o' war
Fortunate childhood
Fortunate near miss

Ocean Reef had golf carts
for navigating the sizeable property
kids could drive them
once they turned 12
I preferred to be a daydreamy passenger

Ocean Reef
had a landing strip
for those who arrived by private jet

My dad and I sat on it in a golf cart one night
under an immaculate night sky
constellations sparkling scintillating silver,
and he told me
some of the stars I was seeing
were no longer there

Eight years old

Mind blown.

Ocean Reef had a nightclub
with a trio of female singers called The Juliettes
I could take them or leave them
I just liked the food

Ocean Reef had small planes
that sprayed DDT.
Nothing worse than gangs of violent mosquitos,
except cancer-causing chemicals
and delayed awareness

Ocean Reef had lettered docks.
The mega yachts were on D dock.
My family's 63-foot cabin cruiser was on E dock
It had two bedrooms
but sometimes we still stayed in the hotel
I loved the hotel
long balconies
fashionable women around round tables in the dining room
my mom, a queen among them.
Up to the minute cool offerings in the gift shop.
Sometimes,
not always
I was allowed to buy something.

There was a market in another area of the property
called Stow on the Wold
I flipped through birthday cards there once
a rectangular one had a slim woman on the cover
with spherical, cantaloupe-sized breasts
Inside: Talk about big boobs. Sorry I forget your birthday!
I enjoyed my illicit discovery,
wondering who would receive that card
and even more so,
who would send it.

Ocean Reef had marine life
one could call fascinating or terrible.
We netted a sea urchin (or maybe anenome)
brought it home to the salt water aquarium
my father decided just wasn't worth it
a month or two later
after whatever the thing was exploded..

Ocean Reef had blazing sun
that produced sunburned skin
I'd gleefully peel off in long strips
days later.

Ocean Reef had long lazy days
of salt, sea, and sand
wafting scents of grilled burgers
with thick wavy fries
marmalade sunsets
in powder blue skies
sparklers on the 4th of July.

The whispered promise
of eternal wealth
and easy happiness
gentle as the lagoon's lapping waves.

Ocean Reef
was heavenly
a long-ago lifetime
a star in my sky
that died.

But I can still see it

Bright

Scintillating silver


Immaculate.