A Summer Dirge
Summer is in bloom, the sun rises high
with verdant fields and its long, carefree days.
Graced by the bumblebees and butterflies,
a thick wall of heat descends like a blaze.
On the water tower, the vultures swarm.
They sing dark dirges in mournful refrain,
and the sky is gray with impending storms.
You can blame it on the relentless rain.
I long for fall, when all the leaves are brown,
bright gold and crimson treasures to behold.
They dance from the trees and then tumble down,
heralding the coming of autumn cold.
I crave relief from heat and misery;
Autumn cannot come soon enough for me.
Colleen Keller Breuning © 2024
July 13, 2024
Hello all! I hope your weekend is going well. I cobbled this sonnet over the course of two days, as it’s been a busy week.
The main thing that drove this poem is the weather has been so miserably hot, and we’re suffering a drought again in Northern Virginia. I just replaced a 10-year-old knockout rose bush that finally bit the dust with a new one, and it’s really suffering and withering in this heat. (Like me). I hope it survives. I didn’t even bother planting a bunch of annuals around my house like I usually do. They would have been fried by now. Even my perennial lilies are looking dead. The lack of seasons is one of the biggest reasons I left South Florida, and the heat and humidity are pretty horrendous for 9 months of the year. At least we only get 1-2 months of heat here in the North, but it’s not as extreme as down South.
Happy 87th birthday to my Mom! She is spending the weekend with my other two sisters in Westfield, PA. I’m really happy that she was able to go up for a visit, as she doesn’t drive any longer. We will celebrate with her next week. I wish you all a great rest of your weekend. Stay safe, and God bless!
Xoxo
Colleen
Inspiration: “Hot in the City” by Billy Idol – might as well play some hot music haha
Ecrits Blogophilia Week 2.16 – Blame it on the Rain
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a song title or lyric from The Mamas and The Papas (“All the leaves are brown, and the sky is gray”)
Easy Bonus: Include a water tower
Colleen Keller Breuning 
Yikes, stay safe during the heat wave. My trips to Venus are quite steamy and humid, ha! Our high temp on Mars yesterday was 18 degrees, which is rather invigorating. KUDOS Dear Earthling! ❤