August sun

 August sun

I’m sitting here in my deck chair

In my sun-house out of the sun

Safe from the August heat

Gazing out to sea

The apple trees have grown

In the decade since we bought here

The hedges have grown higher 

The grass is turning yellow. 

In the armpit of the year

Nestling into middle August

Serene in a late summer haze

The heat seems here to stay. 

A neighbors dog is barking

For no apparent reason

Like people, dogs it seems,

Want to stake their boundary. 

The wind comes from the west

All the way from Cuba

Bringing heat and balm

For the Wexford natives. 

Grateful we for sunny days

Which come and go despite us

Tomorrow’s forecast rain

And after that a scorcher. 

Families with young children

Arrive to mobile homes 

The kids spill out to play

Returning two weeks later. 

Nothing beats an Irish summer

If your skin is fair like mine is

No one here will join a queue 

We’ll bide our time til later.