Loretta Strharsky
These summer days evaporate
With minimal moisture in the air
Tomatoes blister in the exhaustive heat
Hoping for a reprieve for a least a day or two
Lettuce and spinach have taken their leave already
Who knows how those pole beans will survive
The red-headed finches stay in the cottonwoods
Theirs is a muffled song caught in the clustered leaves
It is, otherwise, so very still
The ponds that daily offer a calming walk
Are not welcoming
The stagnant waters do not ripple
With the occasional pelican
Or grey heron looking for a meal
Not even the local osprey sweeps overhead
The resident waterfowl must be taking refuge
In drying brush circling the waters
These dry sad summer days…
07/08/2020