By Ann Weil
One thousand wooden houses line the streets, centenarians painted white or in Easter-egg pastels, each with a porch, its ceiling painted like sky. Haint Blue, the color has been named, and is said to ward off spirits. There are always chairs, a rocker, sometimes a swing, and these porches beckon like pretty girls on balconies, inviting passers-by to come sit a while, escape from the humidity that wrings a body out.
tiny brown anole
skitter here and there; the scent
of wild jasmine wafts
Sometimes a cool pitcher of hibiscus tea and a plate of key lime cookies wait for your visit. Despite the blue paint, a spirit may sit beside you while you sip, while you chew, while you close your eyes and rest. You may feel her fingers brush against yours as you pour another glass of iced tea. She might lay her hand on your arm. Don’t be alarmed. There is only so much we can know. There’s no harm in remembering what love felt like.
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Ann Weil is the author of Lifecycle of a Beautiful Woman (Yellow Arrow Publishing, 2023) and Blue Dog Road Trip (Gnashing Teeth Publishing, October 2024). Her poetry appears in Pedestal Magazine, DMQ Review, Maudlin House, 3Elements Review, and elsewhere. She lives in Ann Arbor, MI and Key West, FL. To learn more, visit www.annweilpoetry.com.