Essence of Childhood Summers
- ANNA D
Bang!
The first thunderstorm arrives with a blast
Perfect, right on the solstice
then
up the tree and
up the creek
a cool wind slices the humid air in half, like a knife
fiery sunsets paint the lake
with all the glory of the sky
fireflies twinkle like stars a
and then there are
finger-food nights
and endless scratching of mosquito bites
splashing in the pool
diving down, then gasping for air
and woe betide the person
who makes the dog get all muddy
because he ran through the spring,
chasing a ball that landed beyond
the electric fence
Don’t forget the countless books to read
and days you invited your friends over
to explore the creek again.
Dirt smears my hands and face
I’ve been digging for “buried treasure”
the peonies wave in gentle breezes
their plump, rosy faces beaming
No summer would be complete without a trip to someplace,
whether it’s the
Chesapeake, Vermont, Yellowstone, the beach,
another country, even!
A time-honored tradition can often feel new,
When you travel terrain so familiar, but at the same time,
not at all.
All underneath is the feeling of freedom
that loves to romp and roam
And go camping in your backyard
underneath smiling stars.
Flashlight tag anyone?
or maybe hide and seek among the
leafy expanses
Wars are launched, and peace treaties
signed on fields of crinkly grass,
scorched by the sun, while you are
also being fried over-easy.
Rain patters down on the roof,
but that’s no excuse to stay inside!
There’s a party out there, with music
By the one and only nature
Splish! Splash! Sploosh! trickling down
roads, swirling down drains,
I am one with the rain.
The dew is glitter on the clover, a sign
of rain overnight, gone with the pale peach sunrise.
It’s the kind of scene that
should be captured and lived in
forever, but can’t.
Happy blurs are all I remember
with clear memories breaking the haze.
Most of the days are spent
finding shade, from where,
it doesn’t matter.
Days and nights are both
resplendent in summer,
complete opposites, but
equally beautiful.
Night’s crown jewels are streaky meteor showers,
flaming rockets zipping along
in a cosmic car race,
the winner is the last one
you see.
When dawn breaks, you
are still asleep, but not for long,
because
there are forts to build
with cushions, sticks, and
your own ingenuity
then lemonade launches an aid
effort, to quench the
thirst of all the
dehydrated children.
It’s hard to believe,
but summer cannot last forever,
and like all good things,
it must come to an
end
in (hopefully) one last
evening of sitting around
a campfire, toasting
marshmallows,
making s’mores
and enjoying the wonderful night.