O My America: Florida, a Poem

by Lawrence Bush

FLORIDA

We become more human with age

The old man becomes more womanly

The old woman more mannish

The old Jew more African

the old African more Latino

the old Latino more Jewish

We merge and blend

in our suffering

in our helplessness

But rather than exalt these elders

and their kind teachings

of humility

America

sends them to live with the alligators