*WINTER
VISITORS
YOU
CAN
NOT
CLAIM
HER
AS
YOUR
OWN.
YOU
DO
NOT
LIVE
HERE
ALL
YEAR
LONG.
YOU
ONLY
VISIT
FOR
AWHILE
AND
LEAVE
US
WHEN
THE
WEATHER
DOES
NOT
SMILE.
YOU
ONLY
ENJOY
THE
GOOD
TIMES
WEARING
LL
BEAN
SHOES
AND
SWEATER
VESTS.
YOU
DON’T
KNOW
WHAT
IT
MEANS
TO
SHOWER
IN
TRICKLING
WARM
FAUCET
WATER,
TO
FEEL
THE
HUMIDITY
SIT
ON
YOUR
CHEST.
YOU
CAN
NOT
CLAIM
HER
AS
YOUR
OWN
UNTIL
YOU
MAKE
THIS
PLACE
YOUR
HOME.
YOU
ONLY
VACATION
WITH
YOUR
FRIENDS
AND
LEAVE
US
WHEN
THE
COOL
BREEZES
END.
LIKE
A
RIGHT
OF
PASSAGE
SOME
WOULD
SAY,
YOU
MUST
SUFFER,
YOU
MUST
STAY
DURING
TIMES
OF
SUMMER
HEAT
MOSQUITE
PLAGUES
AND
BUGS
THAT
CREEP.
NOT
TIL
YOU’VE
WEATHERED
A
FEW
STORMS
SHUTTERED
WINDOWS
--
NO
A/C,
CAN
YOU
SAY
YOU’RE
ONE
OF
US.
BY
SURVIVING
YOU
EARN
OUR
TRUST.
LEAVE
YOUR
CARPET
BAGS
UP
THERE
WE
HAVE
NO
NEED
FOR
THEM
DOWN
HERE.
SAY
HELLO
TO
ISLAND
LIFE
SUMMER
DOLDRUMS,
HEAT
AND
STRIFE
YOUR
HOUSES
ARE
TOO
BIG
FOR
OUR
SMALL
SPACES
KILLING
OUR
FRUIT
TREES
TO
PUT
IN
POOLS.
MOTHER
NATURE
THINKS
YOU’RE
FOOLS.
OH,
YOU
BRING
US
SO
MUCH
CULTURE
ART
SHOWS,
THEATER,
SYMPHONIES,
FUND
RAISING
PARTIES
AND
SOCIAL
TEAS
PLAYING
CROQUET
ON
THE
LAWN
IT’S
MUCH
TOO
MUCH,
IT
MAKES
ME
YAWN.
WHEN
THE
TEMPERATURE
REACHES
92
AND
YOUR
FEET
BEGIN
TO
SWEAT
IN
YOUR
SHOES,
DELTA
WISKS
YOU
AWAY
FROM
THIS
SWAMPY
LOT
TO
HIGHER
GROUND
THAT’S
NOT
SO
HOT.
WE
WHISPER
A
HEART
FELT
GOOD-BYE,
CLEAN
UP
THE
MESSES
YOU
LEFT
BEHIND.
WITH
A
SIGH
OF
RELIEF,
WE
SETTLE
IN
TO
MAKE
THIS
ISLAND
HOME
OURS
ALONE
AGAIN.
YOU
CANNOT
CLAIM
HER
AS
YOUR
OWN
YOU
DO
NOT
LIVE
HERE
ALL
YEAR
LONG.
J.M.
VARELA
4-4-07
*Written
by a
Conch,
For
Conchs,
Always
a
Conch