Summer is tired after hosting a season of parties
   She doesn’t want to pick up your empty glasses anymore
      Or take the scraps to the compost

Summer thinks barbecues are overrated
   And if she sees one more hot dog, well...
      She might have to let the wasps get her revenge

Summer is weary of politely ignoring all the skin exposed
   Not that she’s shaming any bodies
      She just can’t wait for sweaters and shoes that cover toes

Summer is done cleaning all the beach towels
    And sweeping up the sand
       that appears every time she leaves the room

Summer will always love blackberries and peaches
    But she thinks it's time for apples and pears,
        Early sunsets and pumpkin spice everywhere

Summer is not sad to go, but it’s early yet
  Still warm, maybe one last gathering will do
      Just a small, friendly goodbye barbecue...


NCL August 2019

Rhyming Review - The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi

An amusing adventure in outer space,
Watching an alternate human race
Scheme for power and fight to survive
- They need each other to stay alive

Travelling space through the flow,
The shoals are the only way to go;
Except the shoals are fading out
And vital connections are now in doubt

Grayland II, in their resplendency
As Emperox of the Interdependency,
Is responsible for billions of souls
And must prepare them for shifting shoals

Her many foes would seize the throne
Fortunately Grayland's not all alone
Her friends, while clever number few;
Time is running out, can they pull through?


NCL 2019

Flying down hills on our bikes
Wind in our lemon streaked hair
Whooping through
Lips slicked with cherry smackers

We imagined the glamourous
Lives we would lead some day
The world was ours
For the summer

Into the tornado,
   blasted and tossed;
In rapturous throes
   of adventure and chaos;
In the name of curiousity,
   of needing to know;
Of going to places
   you weren't supposed to go,
Biting off mountains
   more than you can chew;
And doing the things
   you weren't supposed to do

When you emerge,
   battered and bruised
You may not have conquered
   but you sure didn't lose
You met every challenge,
   you tried every slide
And while you were at it,
   you had a great ride
Now heading home,
   wielding thunder and lightning,
The journey may not be safe
   but it sure is exciting

Off into the tornado,
   jumping into the great abyss
Find a spaceship to hitchhike
   - hurry don’t miss
Your chance to discover,
   your time to explore
To find that mystical
   wardrobe or secret door,
Arches uncanny,
   magical bottle or stone;
Go on, get in there,
   maybe there’s a throne...