as published on Waterproof: Evidence of a Miami Worth Remembering
hidden amongst bushes and vines
the tiny yellow building adorned in green
almost seemed to blend in too well with nature
con vitrinas de cristal from ceiling to ground
bouquets of roses, baby’s breath, violets
in every shade your heart could handle
kooky in the way all things from Miami were
satin and silk ribbons surrounded by balloons
teddy bears and stuffed animals as soft as the afternoon sun
when I was a kid, the sight of this flower shop meant dread,
nearing my doctor’s office on 107th
the mere sight tasted of grape-flavored cough syrup
after college it became a marker of home
my statue of liberty in Miami
billboards reading:
“roses are red
violets are blue
we’ve been here
longer than you”
a north star
leading me home
survivor of Andrew and other storms
how foolish to think
that we would drown
when pure love is waterproof.
