Thursday, June 26, 2008

Like Summer

[Here is my quickly-written response to this week's Totally Optional Prompts encouragement to write "like summer."]


Like Summer

Since when is summer
mere welcome warmth
enjoyed briefly between
air-conditioned appointments?
the season with weed-whackers
instead of snow shovels?

Summer is that burst of
excitement finally set free from school
to spend entire days in the sun
peddling bicycles around town,
trying to avoid the stinky, sticky
new oil-and-rock roads
and the black bits that would stick
to your tires and white socks,
when refreshment was a race
to finish a grape popsicle before
it melted down your arm.





18 comments:

Lucy said...

Lovely! Summers aren't what they used to be, but those childhood and youth ones never quite leave us...

anthonynorth said...

Ah, you just took me back 45 years.
Marvellous.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, summer certainly is the stuff of memories especially if the weather is like it is here in Manchester today!

sister AE said...

Thanks, Lucy. My childhood memories do seem firmly embedded.

Hi, Anthony. Thanks!

Hello, Andy. Glad to hear you're looking at a great summer day. (Nice so far here, but with a threat of thunderstorms.)

said...

...how euphoric. there is still something about summer that begs me to slow down and act like a child again; even though, those times are long gone and despite the fact that summer no longer means "a reprieve."

Tumblewords: said...

Grape popsicle - white socks and tires thick enough to attract 'black bits'. Childhood summer, for sure!

Anonymous said...

What a pang in my belly! I want to be seven again.

Pauline said...

Love your answer to the question! I remember those "oil and rock" roads.

sister AE said...

Hi, Jim, and thanks.

Thanks, Sue. Glad you're feeling better, by the way.

Hello, Karen. Thanks.

Thanks, Pauline. Didn't know how many folks would know about those roads!

Anonymous said...

a popsicle.. sounds yummy... the ice cream man still comes around our neighborhood... summer is so enchanting... thank you..

sister AE said...

Thanks, OMB. We didn't have any ice cream trucks, all the popsicles came from our freezer - or from grandma's freezer (but she had fudge-sicles too!)

Gemma Wiseman said...

Love how you explored the less traditional images of summer! Especially loved how you detailed a tar experience! Great write!

Stan Ski said...

Summer is always associated with freedom, in our memories. The time we could spend entire days doing and having what we wanted.

sister AE said...

Thanks, Gemma.

Hi, Stan.

Cassiopeia Rises said...

Just perfect, how well I remember tar and dirt on my own official white sox's Wonderful poem on the start of summer.

love-bd

sister AE said...

thanks so much, bd.

Linda Jacobs said...

Oh, I so remember those days when they'd tar the streets that way and it would get into and onto eveything afterwards. Thanks for the memroy!

sister AE said...

Hello, Linda. You're welcome!