russian soul on american soil

fourth day in a row
mornings begin cool and cloudy
giving way to sudden sun
blazing afternoons

you'd think she'd know by now, &
prepare for this onslaught of heat
after living on long island for more
than a half a century

we are an island, surrounded
by water on all sides- simply face this fact,
or the shock of sudden afternoon sun
will kill the creative source in everyone

so she gently takes advantage
of the cooler cloudy mornings to do
her yoga, and to meditate, carving time
for writing poems-as pumpkins in october

preparing for afternoon-she'll set aside
time to nap and dream of northern regions
where wind courses through deliciously
her russian soul breathing coarse snow in spring

kate lamberg

little yellow iris~photo by kate lamberg