Lynn White

Too Darn Hot

Once we were able to shield our eyes

from the occasional brightness

but the sun has grown angry

and too bright for our eyes. 

It’s turning our dreams into sand

and raging so fiercely that

it threatens 

to bring

Africa 

to us,

to all of us

everywhere

it’s too hot now,

too darn hot.

First published in Poetry Super Highway, Poet of the Week, August 5 2024

 

The Last Word On The Last Bird

It’s almost done.

We’re close to the end

the too wet

too dry

too bright

too hot

bitter

empty end

If I could turn back time

I’d see flocks of birds

flying into the sunset

migrating 

as they did for millennia.

I’d see the too loud gulls

swooping and diving

in raucous frenzy 

to fill the sea and the sky.

Now there’s just one.

I’ve nothing more

to say.

First published in The Drabble October 10, 2021

Africa Is Everywhere

The factories closed for two weeks each summer

and it was off to the seaside then!

They would head for the beach and hire a deck chair

there were no sunbeds back in those days

and there they would sit on shell laden sands,

the women in cotton frocks 

and the men in grey flannels, sandals with socks

and a sleeves rolled up, open necked shirt,

there were no tee shirts back then

and shorts were too daring for the over twenties.

And most likely it was too cool in any case.

The sun could be bright though

so the women had a straw hat ready,

but this was too exotic 

and extravagant for the men,

newspaper fashioned into a sailing boat shape

was de rigour for them.

And so one way or another 

eyes were shielded

from the occasional brightness.

Nowadays the sun has grown angry,

too bright for our eyes.

It rages fiercely threatening all in its view.

Africa is everywhere now

and soon sunbeds will be out of fashion.

It’s too hot now,

too darn hot.

First published in Alternate Route, Issue 8, October 2022