Let Go of Summer 

Let go the haunting trill of mourning dove
on waking, the hearty jaunt at dawn above the lake
and sun that splashes, darts among the trees.

Let go the lazy sizzle of eggs and bacon on
the grill, the early dip that chills one’s soul to life,
the moments for reflection, let go of these.

Let go the slow turning times on water,
drifting with a current, dreaming with a friend,
let go the cool diving lakes of afternoon,

the tennis courts, the summer partners who
live no longer than a season’s grace, then disappear;
let go of seaside souvenirs in sunny rooms.

Let go of evening’s laughter on the dock,
and brown-eyed girls who dance and sway
in lantern-lit pavilions beneath the moon.

These almost-auburn days of August grow oddly
brief, the evening’s chill sets early on the folding mist
and though winter’s sleep has yet to call

it one day will, and not far off, so let go of all
such things mixing misplaced memory with desire
and let summer gently slip like starlight into fall.

- Published in Academy Quarterly Review, Summer 2021