A Poem for Carl Hiaassen's HOOT

There and Back, There and Gone again

A poem for Napoleon Bridger, inspired by learning the word “gestalt.”

The whole is bigger than the sum of its parts

Such as fins, tail, mouth and eyes.

Put that together and you get a whole fish

Not easily caught, not at all, with your fingers.

Run a whole race, and it is the sum of your steps.

Run a whole street, and it’s the blisters on your bare

Feet. Of course, ask the finish line, they don’t give a hoot.

You arrive at the end, exhausted, feelings laid bare,

And see your family sitting on the front steps

Taking the credit. Give them a salute of two fingers

For their trouble, and let them pout, a fine kettle of fish

They are anyway. You saved the day in my eyes!

You’re the hero – hold my hand, cowgirl, I love these parts.