I'm counting down to summer again

I'm dreaming about rivers and climbing trees

I'm hating this heat till I reach the shade

I'm planning my birthday and starting a wishlist

"Why are you sad, my dear?"

My mother asks me again and again, 

But my mouth won't open; you can't hear

the words that are caught in a cold, metal chain. 

I can't tell her how hard I yearn

Summer, here at last. 
Long days, sunlight, 
Mosquito bites and beaver dams. 

Maple creemees, flower gardens, 
camping and swimming, under the summer sun. 

Summer is not my favorite season,

summer is not really my jam,

but as June, July, and August

approach in their usual pack,

I find myself longing for the winding days,

the heat that slowly drives us all crazy,

Standing in line

For your bags to be checked

Sitting around

For the plane to come

Shuffling in the plane…

You open your eyes.

Beauty.

A giant resort,

Surrounded by trees.

Summertime: Long days, bright sun,
the smell of sunscreen and bug spray
and clouds of mosquitoes
while we're hiking in the trees.

And then!

The best part about summer

Is the nothingness of it

Lying on a blanket in your back yard

A book on your chest

And iced tea in a mason jar

The best part about summer is the Fourth of July

Summer is my favorite season. I push through the school year to get to the first day of summer. I go to Maine for a week with my friends each year. I watch the fireworks in a field on a towel during the 4th of July.

This summer I will sleep in.

This summer I will enjoy the sunshine.

This summer I will enjoy the rain.

This summer I will listen to the sounds of thunder.