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strolling the meadow, the sun all a-glory,

she is adrift in a cascade of sorrel,

cardinal flower and buttercup

in the near distance, just along the waterline,

the lush brown of fatted cattails

tumble in the breeze

thoughts of gratitude leisurely

make themselves known,

beacons of intent in her mind’s eye

punctuating the warm sultry air

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Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

I woke with aplomb,

having survived my sixty-ninth

4th of July.

*
this was a jaded, unruly one

given the angry, restless mood

of the country,

this hot, humid summer of 2026.

*

today, I enjoyed the ripe juiciness

of a Colorado peach,

sipped hot tea at our sun-drenched

*

kitchen table, a cadre of watercolor

paints close at hand,

the gentle touch of my husband’s

fingers massaging my neck,

*

our furry companion watching us

with an agreeable look

of contentment on his sweet little face.

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because we have no screens

on our sunroom windows,

I cranked open

the casement glass

following the morning’s

burst of much-needed rain

so that I could enjoy —

with a hot cup of tea in my hand —

a freshet of storm-cleared air

as I patiently waited for

the next rumble of thunder

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lined up along the baseboards,

tucked behind the swivel rocker,

crammed into plastic crates,

neatly aligned in the four corners

of our coffee table —

yes! my shelves runneth over,

stacks & stockpiles of books

some I might not ever read, it’s true

(but they’re there for the taking)

there’s always one or two

in my Amazon cart

but, no matter —

I relish every possibility!

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Photo by Jessie Maxwell on Unsplash

in the early morning swelter

of the day’s promised misery,

a glimpse of my 10-year-old self

as she would have reveled

in the glory of a late day in June

I understand, in that sunshiny moment,

the allure of the season

*

I sense it in the humid air,

the titillation of childhood adventures

the what-might-be,

the who-I might-become —

indeed, the grasshopper-chasing,

dredge ditch exploring, watermelon essence

of our school-year reprieve

*

scolding my jaded self, I ponder

the pickpocketing, innocence-robbing

years of adulthood, and I marvel

at the possibility of returning

to a once-more youthful appreciation

of what-might-yet-be,

of who-I-might-yet-become

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Photo by Javier Miranda on Unsplash

the sky says it’s so —

it’s coming

*

the air is fraught

with heat & humidity

*

shades drawn

crank up the A/C

*

drink plenty of fluids

keep your cool

*

summer is here

for real