Summer

[Karen]

Summer nights from childhood
Listening to the swamp frogs' chorus at dusk
Hearing the freight train blow its whistle
As it rumbled through town,
Our only station had closed years before
But that whistle's melancholy call
Still came through the humid darkness

Lying on my bed, watching the sudden
Black silhouette of the red maple
Against the lighting-whitened sky
Leaves trembling with the rainfall

The smell of a summer pond
Cool and green, reflecting the pines
Watching the minnows that swam around our ankles
Diving for cool rocks
Into the cooler depths


*****

Add your own

[Pam]

Catching fireflies in a jar
Riding bikes with my best friend
Listening for the ice cream man
The constant whirl of the fans
(before a/c )

[CagneyDog]

Playing with my two neighbourhood friends.
Going to visit my Grandparents.
Playing on the beach, catching crabs.
Sitting out on the deck reading until it was too dark to see the book.
Going to the farmers market.
Long dog walks.
The smell of fresh cut lawn, and sunscreen.
Swimming with the seals.

[catnapper]

Begging mom to stay up later 'cause it wasn't dark yet
Spending days playing mermaid at the pool
old TV reruns all day, every day
Hide and seek with friends at sundown
Mosquito bites covered in pink lotion
Day trips to the Jersey shore
sticking to vinyl car seats on the ride to the shore
listening for "Watch the Tram Car please"

[Karen]

Walking to Ronnie's -
The ice cream stand over the border into Auburn -
On a still-hot-after-dark night
My friend and I justifying the calories in the ice cream
With the excercise we got walking to it
And the walk home, so much shorter
With the cold treat in hand
Trying to lick all the melting drips
Before they hit our hands

[slick]

OK, I'm not good at poetry but here are my memories. Every summer, my Dad took us camping and I learned to chop wood and drive a boat at an early age....oh and also use a leaf as toilet paper.

Setting up the tent watching the poles get higher
When done, Dad stops and lights the fire
All meals cooked on an open flame
The squirrels come calling and some are tame

We all get changed and hike to the lake
We swim and swim until it gets late
Back at camp Mom sets the picnic table
We change in our jammies and Dad runs the cable

Our bathing suits hung in the morning they'll be dry
Eating dinner at the table and the moon gets higher
Roasted marshmallows was my favourite dessert
Tired and full, we hit the dirt.

Through the tent I can hear the owls voices tower
They woo me to sleep in the moonlight hours
I wake up early to take a pee
I long hike to the outhouse, there's no TP

I shake and rattle all the way camp
Grab the TP, run back and it's damp
My Dad's awake and says "where are you going?"
I said "To the bathroom" and started to growling

He said "Come back here, and go by the tent."
I had to go so bad, I ran back and "went".
Dad handed me some TP and I did what I should
I threw it in the firepit right by the wood

I crawled in the tent and went back to bed
With the sound of the birds filling by head
I felt safe and warm with family near
Life is good and nothing I fear

--vah

[wombat2u2004]

Driving in my woody,
Down to six mile beach.
I've driven for an hour,
T'was a such place to reach.

The wind was in my hair,
The sand beneath my feet.
With my new board I walked,
A track on the sand I beat.

And when I reached the lapping shore,
To see if there was a rip.
I decided then to go in,
Yep, decided to take a dip.

I slipped into the waves,
Sliding along on my new board.
And when I'd reached the deep,
I fastened my wrist cord.

And then there came a wave,
The biggest I could see,
I quickly turned around,
Yes, I'll catch that wave you'll see.

That wave it struck me true and hard,
Fairly upon my rump,
It pushed me down, turned me around,
Wow, what a dump.

And while I was submerged,
I thought I'd take a peep.
To see if any sharks were around,
Or other denizens of the deep.

The waves they tumbled to and thro,
Onto Wombat and his board.
They crashed down with such ferocity,
I thought I'd meet my Lord.

But when the dump was over,
I was a bloody mess.
And would I do it again ?
Why....it's summer.....yes !!!!!

[jackmilliesmom]

My poetry is not good but my memories are:

Swimming in the River with friends and family and tickling the bellies of the rainbow perch and watching them flick their tails in glee, then sitting around wrapped in a towel having sandwiches with cold minerals which have been cooled in the river tied to a rock and then going home tired and content to do it all again or for a day at the beach.

My memories are precious because all of my family are there and no one is missing and that makes them special but even when we do the family beach trip now there are always 2 towels laid out for the ones who are missing.


Jo