summer poems

I .

The ice cream truck rolls down our street

“de Camptown ladies sing this song, doo dah, doo dah”

jolly echoes of casual minstrel-show tunes for the kiddies

but it’s 1:40 and no kids are around

and it’s kinda creepy too

though I remember on another block

in another life

Begging mom for quarters

and running out

for fudgesicles

or rocket pops

or drum sticks

Guess anything goes

for summer in the burbs

II.

The other day we were driving down my street

and I saw a kid had a lemonade stand

I scabbled in my purse for a dollar

but I’m flat broke and we drove on by

well that tow-head gave me such a glare

that I could feel a chill in my bones

“Hope he doesn’t know where we live.”

III.

the lilacs have bloomed and gone

the daffodils and tulips are gone

But a pot of geraniums blooms on my porch

it’s early Summer

The hostas are in full leaf

even bigger this year, if that’s possible

and the grass needs to be mown again.

it’s a beautiful day

and here I sit

hunched over my machine

writing poems and critiques

classwork and blog,

when I should shuck it all

walk to Hy-Vee and

buy a fudgesicle.