July the tenth. It's hot, in the belly of summer.
Children ride bikes on the street. They wear shirts three sizes too big.
They laugh in the breeze. The perfect deep mirage of heat beneath the spinning white wall wheels
A young girl steps out into the sun. The house behind her is adressed 206 Commonwealth street.
Bare feet that are white among the green grass in the lawn
Weeds grow knee high next to the road
The ant pile


Down the road music plays
The children stop
Is that an ice cream truck?



The youngest boy
(Whom just this morning found out what a lie is)
Watches her dodge the ant pile

She walks bare feet
That slap on the asphalt
She is beautiful
(And he thinks of her often)

She waves at him
As she crosses into the enemy territory

On the fourth of July
(She was happy and free)
He still lies in bed and still feels her kiss on his cheek

Rolling over in bed
to a night filled with bad dreams
On repeat she says


"Yeah, you're nice but"
So is Christmas