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ON THE HOTTEST DAY OF THE YEAR SO FAR

They waited for the heat

and the heat waited

building up its forces,

they were in dread of it

imagining blisters

spontaneous combustion

hallucinations

tongues too swollen for mouths

to accommodate,

the salvation of lollies ice creams

and secret wells. 

 

The heat caught some out

the dismissives

the torso worshippers

whilst old folk settled

into dark corners

checking their galloping pulses. 

The tongue of the heat

lapped up water

from silver pools

spat it out with its breath. 

 

◄ TRIPTYCH

THE LAW OF DISAPPEARING SURFACES ►

Comments

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raypool

Thu 21st Jul 2022 21:10

Many thanks to Nigel, Frederick, Julie, Stephen, Holden and K.Lynn for liking the poem.

Thanks Stephen, I do like a bit of drama!

Tom, i'm so glad you picked that verse as I was so pleased it came to me as one phrase. Sometimes you just labour over an idea, but this - the heat of the moment.

Ray

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Tom

Tue 19th Jul 2022 13:54

Fantastic poem Ray. I especially enjoyed this

"The tongue of the heat
lapped up water
from silver pools
spat it out with its breath." 👍

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Stephen Gospage

Mon 18th Jul 2022 15:06

I enjoyed this, Ray. Spontaneous combustion sums up the, sometimes unwarranted, fear.

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