The Heat of July: A Poem
:There’s nothing like the heat of July,
that empty heat that hangs over the fields
and blinds your eyes.
On the cloudy days the pier stands quiet
and the little boats sway in the breeze
before it stagnates and disappears.
A man comes and sails one into the bay
and they sail away, a spot on the water,
on the gray, against the July haze.
The bumblebees cling to the goldenrod,
industrious in the summer heat,
and carry the nectar back to their hollows,
hidden somewhere below the ground.
And the rest of the little boats
slip their moorings and sail
one by one away from the pier
as fireworks light the night
on the Fourth of July —
from houses on the hills,
not from the fire brigade this year.
Beneath the darkened sky
the heat of July roils
and coils into a serpentine mass:
summer’s prize,
a heat-stained mirage before your eyes.


Poet’s Notes
I’ve been having fun lately writing poems about the seasons, the weather, and particular months. This one is an attempt to capture what for me is the essence of July: the heat, the sights, the sounds, the happenings. I was particularly inspired by my poems “Solace in Birdsong” and “In the Quiet” when it came to writing this poem, so I recommend that you check those two out if you enjoyed this one!

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What stunning imagery here! Since I am sweating even inside my home, I connected instantly with the feeling of empty, blinding heat.
I know… summer is hot, and especially July. Where I am, in Massachusetts, it’s not been terrible yet, but I hear that a hot spell is coming. So I may have some more heat-inspired poetry in the weeks to come! Thanks for this comment. 🙂