CANOEING THE TCHEFUNCTE RIVER

a revised Louisiana tourist guide

by David Feela

Birds of one feather
literally stick together
when coated with oil.
Frogs lubricate their croak.
Snakes sputter instead of hiss
and the insects shine.

Alligators finally keep their jaws closed.

Grass in the delta appears
as if it was mowed.
Hardwood trees shed their leaves
so tourists can see up the coast. 

Wax-myrtle can be burned
like a candle
and the black willow
is easy to identify.

As the sun goes down
on the Louisiana coast
the shore rocks will gleam
like gold. 

David Feela's work has appeared in regional and national publications. He is a contributing editor and columnist for Inside/Outside Southwest and for The Four Corners Free Press. His first full length poetry book, The Home Atlas, is now available.
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