Poetry/Fiction

Pensacola Pelicans

September 22, 2026 by Erika Zambello No Comments
colorful pelican statues lined up on a sidewalk

The pelicans of Pensacola, Florida

stand colorful, cherubic, stately

perched on street corners

or public parks or parking lot edges.

There are dollar bill pelicans and life guard pelicans,

music pelicans and Navy pelicans,

library pelicans and fish pelicans

wings outstretched but never flying.

I love them, but crossing the I-10 bridge over Escambia Bay

I love their living brethren all the more.

pelican flying over the water
Brown Pelican. Image by Helmut Mueller from Pixabay
Written by Erika Zambello
Erika is a writer, artist, and communications specialist living and birding in North Florida. Growing up in Maine, she spent summers swimming in chilly Atlantic Ocean waters, hiking fir-covered mountains, and rock-hopping within clear-running streams filled with trout. Quickly falling in love with the natural world, she has been hooked on outdoor exploration ever since. She has written for BirdWatching Daily, National Geographic Adventure, National Parks Traveler, the Maine Sportsman, the Florida Sportsman, and more.