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

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!

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

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