These Days of Summer
Location
Goodnight to the rogue firework
Shot by supposedly experienced teenaged boys
Spreading the stench of sulfur in the lake air
Spiraling towards the porch
Screams of hyper children and tired parents ringing
Thank goodness it did no damage
Except to that elderly woman’s shirt.
So long to the ever-present suntan
Frequently sunburn
Stretching my skin even tighter over the bone
Like my body is squeezed into the clothing of a small child
Despite application of 110+ sunscreen
Several times a day
Only soothed with mega-concentrated aloe
Which stings my eyes just after opening the bottle
Bought overseas,
In a sketchy gas station.
Until next year to the sweetest pleasures
Of ice cream on the beach
Scattered with chunks of red velvet cake
Nearly too frigid to eat
But quickly softened by the waffle cone
Cooked just moments ago
In the window of a shack,
On the side of the road.
Farewell to the sweltering heat
Of a scalding, sticky, fifth-floor dorm room
Lacking the modern luxury
Of air-conditioning
In the midst of a Boston heat wave,
After both comforter, sheet, and pants are discarded on the floor,
Trying to sleep to the rhythm of two giant box fans.
Then giving up when the sun starts to rise.