Out of Habit

By Jonathan Andrew Pérez

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, 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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