By Duane K. McCullough
On a lovely day in a lazy lagoon near Key Largo long ago,
a coral rock glittered in the sun with glassy crystals of glossy gold.
Deep within this rare rock was a crack and a creek
that gathered the glimmering gold from nearby sandy shores
and local lakes that leak.
Legend said that if visitors could splash in this splendid spring
their spirit would sparkle and spread wondrous wings.
When taken in trace amounts,
perhaps the enduring power of gold
prevents those exposed from growing old.
However, this famous fountain was lost in time
when the waters of the area were altered
by forces of nature and mankind.
Was it a series of hurricanes
or was it dynamite and the dredge,
we may never know,
but the foundation of this lost crack in the coral
is now enclosed by mangroves, mud and marl.
So the moral of this story as of today
is that gold is a natural nutrient
awaiting discovery someday.