Belize
The heart of the ocean
doesn’t always contain gold;
the multicolored coral
is full of swimming life.
We left the rain forest behind
& we followed the river
to the tall temple,
built more than a hundred feet high.
It’s open to the elements
outside, the flowered jungle, for hundreds of years.
After we climbed its roof,
the vistas sparkled as a reward & response.
The night sky is full of gold stars
but today’s white sands have captured
our imagination—music rings
from steel drums as the waves
lap upon the beach, lulling us
to sleep as the sun sets softly.