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Out of Habit

By Jonathan Andrew Pérez
Out of Habit

Just before sea-coated sky,

the Anhinga reaches bat wings

against the Intercoastal

canal, Palm Coast.

Red Drum bite below

the rocks bayside,

Slapping their spiny tail,

undermining

the séance. There is no

reason here,

the surf casts salt on

the sniffing interloper.

A skein of Pelicans dip

in the fire-pooled ocean.

Oil of night drips on what’s

more unaccustomed

The maelstrom of water knows

the water spout eases off the coast.

Whiting and sting ray

pull in the wake. Your parents

are here, retired

in the swampy pin oak.

Buried with each passing

Hurricane—casting

blessings upon

nonexistent grandchildren.  

Copyright © 2019 by Jonathan Andrew Pérez.

shortlink: dogb.us/habit

          
Jonathan Andrew Pérez
Jonathan Andrew Pérez, Esq., is a Piltdown Review Featured Poet for April 2019. He has published poetry online and in print in Prelude, The Write Launch, Meniscus Literary Journal, Rigorous Literary Journal, The Florida Review’s Latino/Latinx publication, Panoply Magazine, The Raw Art Review, Junto Magazine, Watermelanin, Cold Mountain Review’s Justice Issue, Yes, Mud Season Review, Meat for Tea: The Valley Review, The Westchester Review, Metafore Magazine, and Silver Needle Press. He has poems forthcoming in The River Heron Review, The Tulane Review, Abstract: Contemporary Expressions, The Esthetic Apostle, The Tiny Journal, Pamplemousse, and Swimming with Elephants. He was a finalist for the Still Journal Poetry prize. Jonathan was selected by The Virginia Quarterly Review 2018 for a workshop with Jericho Brown and Cave Canem, respectively. He is a 2019 Pushcart Prize in Poetry Nominee. He has a day job as an Assistant District Attorney as a prosecutor. His popular Instagram-poet handle is hillicon_justice, and he tweets @hilliconjustice.

               

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