Our Florida Sonshine by Sophie Granville
My Florida son-shine,
When the stork brings you back down I hope you get a good look at this peninsula,
The lakes and estuaries,
The penitentiaries l'II put you in if you ever speak back to your mother like that.
Florida Sunshine I hope you find peace and prosperity on the curves of 14, In between the medians and the modes,
Those who think they can drive who really shouldn't be on the road, I hope the lull of the 408 and the roar of the 95 make you smile, and that the miles between your family members shrink with every year I look forward to the days when I hear you argue that this Orlando, Your Orlando, is more than diverse
That Orlando's ebbing arts scene,
Gives way to bougie coffee,
And a culinary scene that's rivaled by James Beard, And that this skyline isn't punctuated by mickey ears
But none of that tops YOUR HOUSE
I hope you know your house is built on the foundations of an immigrant that believed in the American dream,
And that her dream was to marry your mommy, And some people tried to take that away, But you can't contain a pulse like love
But my boy did they try
I hope your dreams are filled with the Florida everglades,
And that at some point during your ages you take an airboat ride across her swamps
And think to yourself that the monsters that haunt her aren't scary because your mama will scare them off.
hope you clear rain showers, and reigns of powers, like a summer afternoon I hope you know that this sunburn, the one that rages in your heart and on your skin
Comes from a place of love,
That no matter how much SPF you wear you can't block out the Florida sun
That the way that the Florida sunsets paint the sky are a reminder that this place has people of beauty And with enough people fighting for it we can return to that place, your place - in the sky I hope you that there are warriors in this state fighting in crosswalks, and all walks of life, to protect you
That your mothers fought so hard to have you
That we still ask ourselves everyday if we deserve the gift that IS you.
That even when your mother tells you she's 6', she's 5'4" but in this family we don't keep score
Sophie's Bio
Sophie Granville is an Orlando apologist. A proud graduate of the University of Central Florida, a lover of bougie coffees and her wife (and son on the way!), she loves how Central Florida's skyline paints a picture of persistence and is proud to call Orlando home!