In Key West we go to the La-Te-Da
evenings after dinner, sip prosecco splits,
dance to live singers of varying merit,
some hiding their incandescence under
this obscure basket, others no more
than wannabes in the grand scheme.
A pool smaller than a paddle-ball court,
where a toothy inflated alligator drifts
with the ceiling fans, lies next to
the linen-covered dining tables.
The back of the waiter’s black t-shirt
reads: If you want to drink all day
your must start in the morning.
The host sports his usual cowboy
hat and boots, Bermuda shorts,
smiles in recognition, locates seats
beside the small stage—it’s over
a year since he’s seen us—one more
reason we keep coming back.
William Heath has published four poetry books: The Walking Man, Steel Valley Elegy, Going Places, and Alms for Oblivion (Prime Time is due in 2026); three chapbooks: Night Moves in Ohio, Leaving Seville, and Inventing the Americas; three novels: The Children Bob Moses Led (winner of the Hackney Award), Devil Dancer, and Blacksnake’s Path; a work of history, William Wells and the Struggle for the Old Northwest (winner of two Spur Awards and the Oliver Hazard Perry Award); and a collection of interviews, Conversations with Robert Stone. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Hiram College. He lives in Annapolis. www.williamheathbooks.com
Euphony Journal 