when i paint my world
i see its every colour
i see everything

aroma of bread
grease-stained oven mitts still warm
brand-new tablecloth

the air is as fresh
as the juice of an apple
orchard in season

i held a flower
it was a dandelion
and it was summer

watch a drop of rain
every drop of rain…watch
remember their splash

leaving home at morn
sun stretching from the south side
cold pavement warming

that one time of day
when the sun shines that way
wishing it would stay

when I walkabout August

it brings me to a long evening

vibrant greens hit me different

so does swaying flowers of every colour

cut grass fills my nostrils

children’s laughter crowds my ears

as they ride on to adventure passing me by

I smell popcorn, hot dogs, and pizza

tinge of BBQ comes next

then, a big splash

everyone around me is wet

the ocean is still a taste on my lips

a dog barks in the distance

car horns sound behind me

moving my gait to a sidewalk

as a concert can be heard warming up

there is a ball ahead of me

should I kick it…should I throw it

before I can decide, the game’s over

the feel of sand is rough and kelp is gross to the touch

I can watch a bee forever

while my skin gets hot, red, and burnt

cotton candy tastes the best when carnival nights set

how many worms did we catch to go fishing

that night we all played red rover until 10:30

fire flankers dance an estival night sky

birds chirp me awake and sing me to sleep

I crave ice cream on a restaurant patio after a full belly

there’s wedding in the park, they look happy

when I walkabout August, I search for a bench

to look around summer and become a kid, a teen, a man

someone who holds hands with mother nature

and wishes for that long evening to last just a few more minutes

then, I’m up and on my way toward September