CATHERINE SAW SO MUCH INSPIRATION IN THE FLORIDA KEYS, AND MANAGED TO CAPTURE IT ALL IN THIS ONE POEM.
What do you think of when you think of the Florida Keys? I think of the long highway across the sea, a mangrove swamp that my roommate and I accidentally drove through once, and the “Old Town” of Key West.
“THE KEYS” is one of the poems that Catherine included in her self-made book:
In the book are many poems that she wrote, mostly during the 1990s, inspired by life events or whatever she happened to be doing at the moment. They’re divided into categories; Whimsy, Canticles of Praise, Family, Nature, and Unfinished Symphony.
As you know, I’m committed to publishing the materials that my mother, Catherine Shumaker Brinson wrote, researched, and gathered that relate to our genealogy.
Her entire book, Original Writings by Catherine Shumaker Brinson, is now available on Amazon! You can read it on Kindle, or have your very own print copy for your and your family’s enjoyment and for posterity. Here are the links:
| Paperback | Kindle | |
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I’ll also be publishing all her other genealogy research so that you can have it for your own family records.
So if you’re not already signed up for my Genealogy list, be sure and do that now! Here’s the link: https://www.subscribepage.com/g0c4a7
Here is “THE KEYS”, a poem in Catherine’s book, from the Nature category.
THE KEYS
The water is green ~
from teal to pea to inbetween.
The speedboats race
with rooster-tails of Irish lace.
The sky is blue ~
a deep, intense and pleasing hue.
The cormorants dive
to catch the fish they eat alive.
The nests are high
on poles man lifted to the sky.
Old shacks are few
but Spanish roofs now warm the view.
The breezes blow
and cool the sun’s hot fiery glow.
The “Old Town’s” there
with history for all who care.
The marinas abound
with every boat that can be found ~Sailboats tall and stately
Glass bottoms for observation
Ski-Doos for having fun
Windsurfs for skills of balance
Boats rigged for diving to the reefs
Even one from Minnesota
Some with rooms for sleeping
Little ones for only fishing.
Catherine Shumaker Brinson
March 28, 1990
