As I was sitting outside on the front porch with my tea the other morning, I was thinking about how fast the summer season is fading away. It’s been a rough summer with above-average temperatures, high humidity, and lack of rain, which affected many people’s gardens and the farmer’s crops. I often found myself wishing for cooler days over the past few months but there is something about summer coming to an end that makes me feel a little sad. My porch pondering led me to write this poem.

Ode to August

August, please slow down, don’t pass too soon,

I want to treasure summer’s flowers with their colorful, fading blooms.

I long to behold the mountain dressed in its lush, green attire,

and watch summer sunsets dancing on the mountaintop like fire.

August, can you linger a little longer with your warm and gentle breeze?

I’m not ready for Autumn’s first frost or the coming winter’s freeze.

I can’t bear to say goodbye as the hummingbirds depart,

I’ve become accustomed to their acrobatics, a divine work of art!

I love the scent of lavender permeating the summer air,

I inhale its sweet aroma as I relax on the porch in my favorite chair.

I will miss the taste of summer’s bounty, a juicy, delightful treat,

sweet corn, melons, and berries all freshly picked to eat.

I want to sip tart lemonade and read more summer books,

while listening to the soothing tune of the babbling nearby brook.

So, August slow down, please don’t rush away,

for when you’re gone the end of summer will soon be underway.