August Poems

the hum hum, drum drum of life
echoes the long drone of the locust
in August time
busy busy moving
we all must slow down
with age
with illness
so why not prepare
sniff the hot, humid air
watch the sun warm the grass
feel the languidity of it all
the inevitability of it all
and choose instead
to ignore the hum hum
and focus on the slow slow
to and fro
of the porch swing

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the silence in between the lingering notes of the locusts
I feel summer in my bones
hidden in the trees we climbed
the days at the pool
the evenings playing on the grass
the dinners made by my mom
the golden afternoon sun
the smell of burgers and corn
the dark sky through open windows
the click of the fan
the sweet taste of ice cream
the safety and surety of childhood
the limitless possibilities of it all
that seemed to go on forever
until it disappears
and you can only hear its whispers
on a cricket’s legs
a cicada’s rattle
and catch a glance of it
in firefly blinks at dusk

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August is like saying goodbye and hello summer at the same time
It’s the height of the heat, but also belies the first whispers of autumn
the peak green growing season has passed, but the browns and yellows start the fall show
I love this duality—it has its own mix of saudade