Meet the Azaleaville Poets
Though they arrived quietly and without fanfare, Reginald C. Moone and his wife Lenore have become cherished voices in our neighborhood’s growing literary scene. Hailing from parts unknown — Reginald claims to have once run a used bookshop in Key West, while Lenore simply says she follows the weather — the couple settled in Azaleaville in 1955 and have been writing ever since. Reginald’s poems are formal, thoughtful, and steeped in nostalgia, while Lenore prefers the delicate brushstrokes of haiku. Together, their work captures the small wonders of Florida life: the shifting light in September, the rustle of palms at dusk, and the strange beauty found in everyday things.
September Haiku
by Lenore Moone
Storm drains sigh with leaves.
Front porch coffee tastes like change.
Egret eyes the breeze.
September in Azaleaville
by Reginald C. Moone
The thunder naps, the breezes shift,
The oaks exhale a cooling lift.
September knocks with softened heat—
Still summer, yet not in full repeat.
The lawns, half-wild, begin to slow,
While school bells chime from down below.
A lizard suns on stucco wall,
And watchful herons stake their call.
A golden hush on jasmine’s bloom,
A restless squirrel reclaims his room.
The season’s edge is subtle still—
A sigh, a wink from Azaleaville.
