Michalene Hague

Summer Litany: Maine

Slap of door screen,
Smears of sunscreen,
Yelps of laughing, splashing children,
Ice cream drips down mouth and chin.
Watermelon seeds spit a mile,
Crisp white wine and lobster smile,
Raspberries picked from tiny thorns,
Blueberries blend in pancake morns.
Blue dragonflies dance on pipewort grasses;
Brown "sewing needles" stare at sunglasses.
Pink lady slippers in forest hiding,
Stately balsams bayberry air scenting,
Beach in towels, sand in sneakers,
Chipmunks flit and a chickadee twitters.
Closed hand of humid, sweat sliding south,
Fans whirring, wafting welcome wind about,
Lake lapping, fish jumping, boats rocking,
Wood smoke smells of hot dogs grilling.
Robins, red-winged blackbird burble,
Humming motors and two loons' yodel,
Battling bugs and losing to ants,
Hello shorts; goodbye pants.
Citronella, foggers, mosquito repellents,
Flashlights torching family tents,
Wishing upon the diamond sky,
Bats and owls swoop silently by.
Ghost stories told under full June moon,
Campfires, sparklers and guitar tunes,
Dancing skies -- loud colors together,
But cool sheet mornings with sun are better.
Share zucchini; slather corn with butter;
Ice gold beer; around chowder putter.
Salted tomatoes sliced so thick,
Field of evening firefly tricks,
Hot nights showcasing ice-chip stars,
Shooting stars streak the unlit darks.
Swimsuits draped on patio chairs,
Grumbling gray thunder and pitchfork flairs,
Ranting rain and double rainbow ranks,
Summer life lazes in the hammock of thanks.

Citations

(Attending to civic memory)

Honor those who walked for peace.
Pin medals on the shirts
    sheltering those chests of courage.
Let the footsteps of their chants
    echo to define us.
Let their songs rise to remind.

Honor those who worked for peace.
Drape ribbons 'round the necks
    bending over the tasks of life.
Let the lending of their hands
    join with others to heal us.
Let their building rise to redeem.

Honor those who spoke for peace.
Sculpt statues for their pedestals
    scattering over the lawns of states.
Let the engravings of their words
    deepen to focus us.
Let their phrases rise to resound.

Honor those who warred for peace.
Cast flowers on the waves
    swelling over the wrecks of war.
Let the spirits of the sacrificed
    surface to guide us.
Let their knowledge rise to inspire.

Honor those who died for peace.
Place lilies on the graves
    growing across contested lands.
Let the souls of the silenced
    speak to enjoin us.
Let their stories rise to teach.

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