Karla Linn Merrifield – The Real Florida Flora and Fauna Sutra
so I know indeed I did become
the emblematic panther one night,
haunting the pinelands
and another night the iconic blue heron
stalking sweet water marshes
just in from the Gulf to coves and channels
another night a West Indian manatee
warming in the springs
toward the end of winter
and joining them in my voice flew
red-shouldered hawks, osprey
and nearly every night the barred owls