Photo: jeanne rene watson

          All summer long 

mama’s porch caught and nestled the breeze

   for the ladies.

Round, round the rafters it ambled,

swooped down

circled about our lil’ darlin’s 

and leapt up

in impetuous gusts to tangle pixie bangs.

   Sigh

red-freckled cheeks,

lollipop impressions falling fast on our laps,

making sweet, sweet laughter.

Smiles sipping so-cold sodas

in effortless satisfaction

with cool, cool beads of bliss

   on the lips of the ladies.

            Afternoons

dillydallied mixing company with

the persistent lover puffing its breath

in jasmine balm and pungent geranium

   bouquets for the ladies.

Temperamental bursts

blushing,

fluttering soft lapels against our white throats,

and lazy chimes shake, shake, shaking delirium

with a sudden slap.

 ~

Easy, honeyed wind swept round the porch

   Remember

the soft slender hands

   all summer long

Summers

pretty ladies catching promises ferried on the wind

               all

summer

         long

   copywrite jeanne rene