Mermaid Palms

Talking to trees in Florida

Mermaid Palms by Jim Latham | Photo by Nsey Benajah on Unsplash

With their roots exposed to the air and their delicate fronds spread on the lawn, the three royal palms looked as helpless and naked as beached mermaids.

I’d never pitied trees before, but I hung my head for tearing them from the sandy soil. I was doing yard work for my landlord in exchange for rent, and re-potting the three palms was the first task on my list.