Summer Itch

Prone as it was to simply sail across,

it scraped our eyes skyward,

And shook our damp lids to life.

This golden, old pirate coin

Simmered into the early sky,

We cracked open like

Lightning flies, as the sun

Rose and spun our wind-up backs.

We stomped through the pollenous

Haze, intent as a red-eyed cult

To see winter slain by knives of color.

With growls and hoarse whistles

And sandwich bags, we sat

Though the dawn glaze like

Veterans attuned to scenic wars

The sodden whisper of the past

Was through, but the indelible hum

Of the skin’s surface, in the naked

Clutch of lawns and mud tattoos remained.

Night called to air, like

The cellobuzz of honeybees

Or crack of splintered wood.

Starlight bled through our hands,

Our spread eagle fives and

We read our compass of constellations

As April oracles of light.

They said to run. Fuel our woodfire

Engines, rework the pulleys and

Pistons left potent and quiet.

A bittergreen night periphery

Parted, into thickets and groundbrush

With gazelle strides, footfall upon

Golden footfall we sought the closest

Cascade into space, shattering the light

Upon disturbance of the surface,

Diving like shards, a scintilla of

Bears and crabs and twins glinting

Among moppy heads in a row.

We saw our souls like children,

With mouthfuls of starlight

And fistfuls of coronal fire.

Reviews

[John Destalo]

This is amazing work with so many original expressions. One thing it does for me is give hope as winter arrives early in PA. I just wrote a piece about this experience so I took your piece as a reason to look to the future and the pleasure of a summer itch. I really like the interplay of nature and modern civilization. As I grow older it is an issue that becomes more important. I think in line 17 you meant "through" not "though"

[Hedra Helix]

F**k that is gorgeous. The end especially was ridiculous. I'm going to read this again tonight and break down my review.

There are a few places I don't get amidst the insane gorgeousness. So I'll dissect it and get back to you. Because I want to know.