Light in Summer

Summer phospheresence:
Little flashes in the darkness
Memories of pre-science class,
Running with mason jars
Grasping at the dying twilight
Wresting control of the nightime
With a jar full of blinking light

Place it on the dusty shelf
Next to the watermelon rind
And the peach pits
And the aroma of Fourth of July
Gunpowder.

Blackberry cobbler, sweet and tart
With buttery flakes of pastry
Vanilla ice cream dripping down
The berrys staining our fingers
As we pull them off the bush.

Throw a ball, imagine yourself
At Yankee Stadium, with the Mick
And Billy and Yogi on deck;
Whitey is pitching today.

In Atlanta, Hank is at the plate
Big blue 44 on his back,
And you hold your breath tightly
Within your chest as you wait, wait
And the swing and the piece of whiteness
Is sailing toward the fence.

Sailing toward Summer.