Between ...and i Love It

flash-cobweb whatever

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Somewhere between adolesence and Labor Day.

Shrugging my shoulders inward.

drawing the beach towel close to my face.

i inhale the lingering scent of salt water and coccoa butter.

And...i Love it...

the way the midday sun loves a child's lemonade stand.

and sunblock slatherd seniors and black pavement.

warm and long...

steady with a sleepy heat.

The wicker chair creaks as i rock .

My sandy toes press against the weatherd porch railing.

peeking above the towel i fall into random thought.

wondering where fireflies go in winter?

wishing the moon ruled seasons rather than the tide.

then summer would be back in hours rather than months.

Nightbirds mourn the summer folk that left weeks ago.

as Mother packs away summer whites.

The gold of June sunsets has long since given way

to the magenta and amethyst sky of late August evening.

melting into rich and endless midnight blue.

Beach grass and the torn vinyl tablecloth flapping in the breeze

make  an odd duet ... i find comforting.

Sensual flashes of Summer memories arouse yet embarrass me.

The silky feel of the purple sundress i wore to the beach party.

The smell of stolen beer and kisses.

The courting of exhagerated stories full of brag and bull.

shared with perfect strangers until curfew dispersed us.

Stretching tall against the back of the chair

i feel older and wiser

yet less sure than ever

and i love it

the way chance is more exhilarating than surety

 

~ J.Hampton 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

in progress feel free to tear it apart
in a nice way of course : )

Reviews

[GTVile]

That was pretty good. You described the scenery well enough that I could smell the salt water (not the cocoa butter though, I had a bad experience with that!) and hear the crunching of sea shells, taking me out of this dreadful basement office. You provided an escape with a meaningful message attached. Good job. You'll be able to work the kinks out in time.

[Mrudula Rani]

Where fireflies go in winter ? Some thing to ponder upon isn't it? This poem will always be as fresh as summer memories! " I feel older and wiser, yet less sure than ever" that is a profound observation!

[J. Hampton]

thank you for reading
glad you enjoyed

[Mrudula Rani]

It's my pleasure.

[ron]

Beautiful peice. It made me wish for a less stressful time. Thank you for letting me relax for a few minutes.

[J. Hampton]

Thanks for reading and I'm glad it gave you a good moment

[jacob erin-cilberto]

"a child's lemonade stand"

apostrophe...

but that aside...

i liked the story in this...i related...going back and forth between 3 seasons in NY and summers in Vermont...those summers spoiled me...i got to really dislike the concrete jungle that was the south bronx...and i loved the pastures, farms, mountains in Ryegate, VT...beautiful place, best times in my life...
this poem brings me back to both the city and the country...and the freedom and innocence of childhood.

thanks for the memory

jacob

[Antonio Valentino]

extremely wonderful..

each line was a poem in itself

i just fell in love with the whole of this and in the anticipation of what lies next..

so many, many wonderful lines but my fingers jumped on this one:

The smell of stolen beer and kisses.

so, so, fantastic!
:)

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

Stark and fun, sattirical innocence thrives on youth and the ability to overlook any danger's, well done a great read.

[Dreamer]

Oh well I love it too:) It just reminds me of all the teenage fun I kinda wish i would experience (bt the parents are pretty strict.lol) But seriously, the tone of the is very fresh and therefore blends perfectly with this piece. The only thing i would suggest is that maybe the punctuation could have been less so that the poem would have been so, i think the word i'm looking for is 'perfect' so that it would give the feeling of freedom and flowing excitement. Wonderful write. Adding this for sure:)

[Tate Morgan]

Oh the beach how sweet the nectar that it produces

[roy mccarthy]

i think this is one of the best ive read on this site!
non-rhymey and excellent!

[Tina B]

I love the imagery in this poem.

The opening line caught my attention. I like the connection you made between adolescence and Labor Day.

The ending caught me by surprise. You talk about being older and unsure, then state "i love it." I guess, as someone who is older and unsure, I haven't been feeling the love. But I should...

Great inspiring poem.

Tina B

[Bill Grimes Jr.]

Outstanding flow and such vivid imagery my friend. Your well crafted words transport me to that beach and that beautiful moment in time. Thank you for allowing me to share your journey. :-)