I Tell Myself if You Don’t Survive,
You’ll Go Down Kicking

To a gopher tortoise on St. Augustine Beach

Plumes of sand like smoke signals
feet from the boardwalk, and there you are,
burrowing into the evening. We read

the signs: “Conservation Area: Stay Out”
“Beware of Snakes” and wonder who actually
pays attention, wandering in or through this hammock