Gray day alert

We're long into January with no signs of winter letting up!  The Lake is almost completely frozen- I follow this information as if I were a meterologist or an ice fisherman.  It's important because once this simple phenomenon happens, there is a promise of sun!  No more lake effect snows, at least not from Lake Erie. 
   Monday the snow reminded me of walking on squeaky sand on the beach at Perdido Key and the sun (first appearance and last in days ) made me think of the line "glittering salt diamonds".  So here's the post of the poem, Formentera, which will be appearing in "Barcelona Ink".  Formentera is a small island in the Mediterranean near Ibizza, but nothing like Ibizza.

Formentera

The slow walk

to the cemetery of strangers,

car doors slam

onto private pain.

The ageless old dressed

like little black dolls

their full skirts

swirl in the burning sun.

Good Friday church bells

compete with Guantanamera

sung off key.

Tourists, weathered sailors,

a preponderance of children

inhabit the new money mad

don't stop till every inch is sold realm,

but still bound sheep

hobble over stone fences

fig trees grow horizontal and

goats strive for the

tender top leaves.

By the sea,

salt flats lie shallow,

leave behind

glittering salt diamonds

on white sand.