All the Glories of Summer

An original poem by Coco E. Poley on July 1, 2022

credit: Sebastian Unrau on Unsplash

All the Glories of Summer

all the glories of summer
are pain —

all the glories of scratches from healthy green brush you tracked through on a quest,

of insect bites freckling your exposed skin,

of too-burnt flesh feeling roasted and radiant hours after the sun has laid herself to rest,

of bright red blood on a fresh scrape earned in battle with a blackberry vine,
 — the rewards of which are juicy and fresh,
and taste sour-sweet like the memory of a love lost.

all the glories of summer hurt,
leaving trails of the Earth and her gifts in the recesses of your mind.

all the glories of summer please,
all the scars of childhood remain,
and I am still in love
with wandering in the woods alone,
just Earth and sky and me.

—

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