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.