Summer

I've always enjoyed the sunlight after four in the afternoon

The Sun would start to sink low, causing everything to glow

I'd gaze at blurry passersby, their passing faster than my mind's eye

Squirrels chased each other high and low in the bushes and in the trees

A child in the distance yelled, “Please, mommy. Please?!?!”

All he wanted was money for the ice cream man, it was Summer.

I've never known a single one without the ring of that familiar bell

Many times well after the Sun fell, I'd be chasing it down the street

Hoping for an Italian ice, a Bomb pop, or anything cold and sweet

The sounds of feet running in gel sandals, the soles chock full of pebbles

Sneakers skidding on the hot asphalt, dogs barking and yelping in hot pursuit

To not have fifty cents was a true bummer, in the Summer.

On one particular day as the Sun leaned to kiss the ocean

Daydreaming about the world constantly in motion

I saw lovers walking and talking, their foot prints prominent in the moist sand

Herons standing still yet stalking, for frogs and crabs were in high demand

With the faint taste of salt and a slight chill in the air, I knew the hour was late

But the days are long leaving much more for one to anticipate, in the Summer.

Leaving the beach the aroma of pizza made the air delicious downtown

I headed home coasting on my feet, barely making sounds walking the streets

Car tires chirped louder than the sound coming out of my headphones

That were hanging around my neck, the situation urging me to inspect

A motorist was chasing some kids, making a dash they were with stolen pops

Knowing which one would get caught, that night he wore flip flops, it was Summer.

Walking in the twilight I was happy for some relief from the heat of mid-day

The blue in the sky had gone away, crimson, plum and blackness peppered with stars

Loud stereos added to the collective hum, as they blared out from convertible cars

Rice rockets burning their clutch, corner boys puffing a Dutch, and arguing over Cee-lo

I gave a familiar chum a nod and a pound, continued to step but paused to turn around

We shared a knowing look for it was going to be one of those nights, in the Summer.

-DRM

SYS