Sultry Months
(Illinois summers, late ‘50s, early ‘60s)
hot Midwest streets,
feeling buttery tar squish between bare toes
humid, heavy air,
a suffocating blanket while
mosquitoes buzz our ears
as raindrops plop,
we shed clothes for swimsuits
splash in summer showers
synchronized sprints
under charcoal gray thunderheads
stacking higher and higher,
shedding lightening, the
showers now storms,
so we stampede to shelter
stolen mulberries stain our shorts and fingers,
exposing our secret, the forbidden picking
games of bicycle cops-and-robbers,
moonlight tag, and firefly chases
Brownie Scout muddy creek hikes and
$two-bit community pool plunges
biking or driving for quarry swimming
summer reading clubs -
Bookmobile neighborhood stops
softball, badminton, tennis, roller skating
juicy watermelon, touched with sprinkles of salt
- a real slurpy breakfast -
afternoons might bring ice cream
IF the man pedals his freezer cart by
we love Green Rivers at the local
soda fountain counter
A&W root beer floats delivered by carhop,
square White Castle burgers
and new to us, Chinese take-out
The Golden Arches sign displays
“25,000 Hamburgers Sold!”
fifty cents for movie double-features
drive-in movies and summer street dances
we loved our Motown, British Beat Groups
and Friday night Battle of the Bands
About the Creator
Andrea Corwin
🐘Wildlife 🌳 Environment 🥋3rd° See nature through my eyes
Poetry, fiction, horror, life experiences, and author photos. Written without A.I. © Andrea O. Corwin
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More stories from Andrea Corwin and writers in Poets and other communities.
There's A Hole in My Bucket
It’s a well-known fact that Liza Dufresne was always the brains in the family. She was the one who always came up with the brilliant schemes the Dufresne kids carried out when they were younger. Like when they tricked Mrs. Claybourn into paying for a trip to Disney World. Liza convinced her that their parents had been kidnapped and were being held for ransom for the total price of three tickets. In reality, they were away on a weekend getaway for their anniversary. When they returned, Liza told the Claybourns that they did not like to talk about the ordeal. Their parents never found out how they got the money. Mrs. Claybourn never found out that the Dufresne parents were never really in any danger.
By David E. Perry7 days ago in Fiction
Comments (2)
That sounds like my Minnesota upbringing! My hometown still has an A & W with carhops and rootbeer in frosty mugs! We also have a place on Main Street called, "MinneSoda Fountain." I don't know if they serve that green stuff though. Fun read!
Brought back soft summer night memories so carefree. Black fans with whirling blades and bathtub raindrops and crashing thunderstorms. Thanks for bringing me back to an optimistic time.