Resurrecting A Dying Beauty Poem by Andrea Cebrecos

(A Tribute to Florida's Everglades)

Legendary beauty
That I once read about in a book
It’s heart breaking to see you withering
Left with almost completely dried up roots

We haven’t appreciated you
Using everything you have to give carelessly
And now that it’s almost too late
The irreparable damage has become easy to see

The river of grass is drying up
The swamps are not as deep as they used to be
Wild life is disappearing
While invading organisms start making a living

Yet besides all these negative attributes
Your charm still remains
And this became apparent
As I stood in your swampy terrain

Even though we’ve hurt you deeply
We’re trying to restore you to your original splendor
So generations will be able to see
Everything you have to render