So Hot

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We sweat, itching in the sweltering hot swamp.
The humid summer air a burden, seeming more
Heavy than our torpid bodies can bear.
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My own screeching tinnitus is amplified
By the insect’s constant whine, the decibels
Overwhelming the earth’s hot wildcat scream.
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The pristine river is here guarded by acres
Of steaming thick river mud, and warm to the touch,
Mosquitoes and ticks sentinel the lost paths.
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The river invites. Swim at risk in the soothing
Red tannic waters, home to alligators, poisonous
Cotton mouth snakes, snapping turtles, gar fish, eels.
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Pollen, dust, and ashes float suspended in the
Turbid damp air, filling sinuses, eyes, mouth,
Unbreathable, coating surfaces with thick gray green.
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The longed for cool of the evening shall only arrive
Hustled by howling cyclonic storms, while local
Inversions trap the heat, cooking all with pressure.
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A small jeweled humming bird hovers, unconcerned,
Before me, then flits away, the tiny nest hidden.
With gratitude and cool well water, I rinse my face.
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Bear . . . 06.20.2014
ⓒBearspawprint 2014

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