Hanging like straggly beards on old men,

gray Spanish moss decorates each ancient tree.

Marsh grasses grow in abandon, wild and thin and tall,
caressing the river’s banks as it makes its way to the sea.

Honeysuckle and untamed grape vines twist and bloom,

their nectar seized to fill the wild honeybee’s hive.

Scampering squirrels, armored alligators and armadillo,

all manner of living things increase and thrive.

Snowy white egrets, with pointed yellow bills and slender legs,

proudly strut through dark marshes in search of sustenance.

All the noises of nature exist and work with each other,

merging the marshland sounds with a natural symphonic balance.

Sweltering summer days blend, one muggy day into another,

while living things grasp each coastal breeze for a fleeting reprieve.

All the flora and the fauna and, of course, the tea-colored waters

are threads in a natural tapestry, one that only God could weave.