How to Have a Happy Summer

Befriend the young;

they're fun to hang out with,

see it all fresh and have unfettered hearts.

Befriend other women;

they walk our path,

mirror our souls and lend their comfort.

Befriend other couples;

they are mentors,

supporters and cheerleaders.

Play games;

they keep you sharp and happy

and give you a way to connect with the young.

Go out for coffee;

find a cafe that writes happy messages to you

and serves little sweet extras to start your day right.

Hope your summer is a happy one. Better yet, make it happy! What would that look like for you?

Summer Heat

Plants line my balcony parched
in the unrelenting summer heat.
Even with daily sacks of water, leaves
tip brown, flowers fall, unable
to hold. My neighbors say their herbs die.
Against all this my basil thickens, greens
and lushes, reaches to that scorching sun
and grows heedless of what withers others.

My neighbors come to beg basil. They want
what that plant offers, want to eat it, add it
to their food, feed it to their children,
watch it lurch up as most succumb. They tell
friends and friends seek some. The more its shared
the more it grows. Basil takes that blazing
sun, paints yellow on its green leaves, sports it
like a scout's survival badge and just keeps growing.


This is posted as part of Open Link Night over at dVerse Poets Pub hosted today by Natasha Head. It's a talented group, decidedly diverse, who love poetry so check it out.

What's Happening

The begonias are pert and sassy strutting their beauty along my balcony railing.

The hot peppers are flourishing as well growing long, full and spicy. Yet they hide. 

How many can you find?

I'm eating olives every day from my province of Abruzzo. I never knew olives could taste so fresh. They still carry stories of their tree life and they feed them to me.

The doors are always open now. The colors of new couch cushions' flowers make me smile. Six different coleus plants sit on every available surface with changing colors 

to surprise me and keep me alert.

I sleep on summer bright sheets that even brighten my dreams 

while the pillow from Antigua makes them hotter.

The days are fine enough to melt mountain snow that tries to hold on. A message?

What's happening in your little corner of the world?