ISLA MONA

between Puerto Rico

and Dominican Republic

grotesque beauty

rises above the waves

a small isle

ruled only by Iguana

before continental shelf

drops to Atlantic depths

legend says

pirates’ treasure

hidden somewhere within

her myriad

ocean swept caves

at night

upon an uneasy wind

screams can be heard

beyond the cacti

guarding passage to plateau

ghosts of those

lost their way

for if seeking wealth

aboard Mona’s deck

let no friend do so alone

her limestone demeanor

easily cracked

holds many an explorer’s fate

speedy passage

ten, fifty, a hundred feet

to those same caverns below

© 2000 Chris Sorrenti

Author's Note: I've never been to this island, and in fact discovered it in reading a book titled,
Ghost Ships, True Stories of Nautical Nightmares, Hauntings, and Disasters by Richard Winer.
According to the book, it's one of those places some think is cursed, having seen many tragedies
over the course of the last millennium.