Summer In A Yellow Dress
 

The sunlight summertime paint of a mango

sky and buttercup clouds dandelion my lawn.

A mustard butterfly sails like a bright

Balloon, rests on yellow hats and is gone.
 

My face lights up like a light bulb on lemon-

scented place mats the whole livelong day.

Heat as strong as a wool turtleneck sweater,

I remain inside my house to play.

 

My custard heart an egg yolk

beating inside a fry chest like an old fool.

In the summer squash of evening I melt

like a jelly bean, puddle on roses cool.

 

On creamy yellow mornings I arise,

Put on my best banana smile and race

to enjoy the best part of summer before

the hot blond wax smears my face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

             Summer Folly

The first week of summer
I wave across a river of lawn
so perfect it is mistaken
for a local landmark
I scarcely even resent this

vulnerable carpet
glued to mud
the roof for the underground
bug condos and cemeteries

on the path between my front door
and paved double drive,
the day moseys outside
crawls amidst the heat and trivialities
then skitters away

the empty fray
hungry for shadow
in a suburban meadow
silent as the muted petunias

at four in the afternoon
the exhausted sun knocks on my front door
bugs me for a resting place
sweats through the sidelight

I pretend I am not at home
bury myself in the wave of light
snicker in tense folly
while my day burns raw and significant
in the cool of the air conditioner
 

Previously published in Hammered Out #9,
Summer, 2006