Dared: Bikes, Lanterns, and Mary Oliver

After I took that spill on a hill at dusk into a pile of Mackinac Island horse manure some years back, I was afraid to climb back on my bike. But when we moved into this neighborhood carved from the Everglades, I agreed to join my husband on various wild adventures, some of which involved bikes. So early one Sunday evening we pedaled (I mostly wobbled) the three miles or so to Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park. It meant crossing a four-lane highway, and even though there was minimal traffic, the pavement looked mighty hard . . .

A herd of alligators and a flock of flamingos greeted us on the hill by the lake. We might have expected them, but as we walked on, it seemed like the world came together on that 15 acres, a sense accentuated by the various languages we heard spoken around us as a result of living in a multicultural area of South Florida . . .

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life? ~ Mary Oliver

So how does all of that tie together? Join me over at Tweetspeak Poetry for the whole story.

And by the way, did I remember to tell you that I’m now a regular monthly contributor over there? Here’s the proof and the blurb. Just scroll down, and meet the rest of the team, too. Meet Our Team.