Summer poems

summer poetry prompts prompt summer poems

Photo by THEFUNKSHIP on Unsplash

This week I have been thinking about summer, thanks to

Nelly Bryce

and her August poetry prompts over at

Poetry Pals

. We had 7 prompts to choose from, or we could choose them all, I tried as best as I could, but am currently in an ME crash and so my brain isn’t working as best as it usually is. I wanted to try, and so gave it a go, these are definitely ‘first drafts’ but sometimes they can be the best ones, so here we go…

Firstly, the prompts:

1. Summer in three lines

2. Lying on the grass

3. Use a lyric from a favourite (summer) song

4. The dog days of summer

5. Summer colour

6. The summer offers some advice…

7. Cruel summer

I tried to do one a day, but that wasn’t working, so I tackled them when my brain fog allowed, and I didn’t get to do them all, so more work to do when I am fully awake and alert, which is good, I love a good prompt to get the poetry juices flowing, plus there will be 7 more on Sunday!!

This first one was inspired my my childhood love of finding patterns in clouds while laying on the grass:

Photo by petr sidorov on Unsplash

Lying on the grass

The birds are circling overhead
The blue sky peppered with cotton wool of
different shapes and sizes
What shapes can you see?
A dog perhaps, no
A fish?
I think I see a dragon...
Meanwhile, the ant that has just crawled across my body must think of me as a giant mountain range to be conquered.

This second poem is entitled ‘The Dog Days of Summer’ and reminded me of typical British summer traditions:

Photo by Henry Ren on Unsplash

The Dog Days of Summer

These are the days when the sun is high in the sky
Wearing it's best hat and sunglasses
Breathing it's heat out to us
in the cold part of the earth
We revel in the opportunity to shed our winter coats
Place our bare feet on the sand
dip our toes in the salty sea
Cracking open an ice cold drink
to diffuse our sweaty bodies
not used to such warm temperatures
as the thermometer reaches new heights
The skies turn blue
Sandals with socks, and men with bare chests,
their beer bellies on display are a common occurrence
in towns and villages across the UK
Our dog days are here and we embrace them
for we know, that in a blink of an eye
they will be gone
and we will long for them once more

And finally, I thought about what the summer might say to us if we could hear it speaking, and how all that rushing about trying to make the most of the sun isn’t all that it is about, sometimes we need to take stock of the important things…

Photo by Jan Canty on Unsplash

The Summer offers some advice….

Take the time to enjoy how the sunlight gently falls
against those things that are usually ignored
the dust gathering on your mantel, for example
but also the way it shines colour on your wall
as it burns through the stained glass window pane
Enjoy the warmth of the afternoon heat
bathe in it, rest in it, sleep if you want
Take a rest, a holiday, relax, learn to stop.
Don't be ashamed to sit in the shade if you need to
remember the sun has burnt you many times
and you need to look after your ageing skin
but remember to be thankful for the years, and the summers
you have had to learn to love yourself
in a more gentle way. You should
Love yourself, you shine too you know, just like the sun
you make a difference when you let your light shine
on different people, and places, and
people love it when you show up, don't forget that.
Wear the shorts, seriously, wear them, and while we're at it
let your upper arms see the light, its too hot for cardigans
your body is a wonderland, full of magic and beauty
let it enjoy the sunshine too, it deserves it.
Listen to the children play, don't try to keep them quiet
they're only young for such a small amount of time
and they need to enjoy the space to laugh,
to play, to do all the things you did when you were younger.
Don't forget to have fun too, you are all little children inside,
and even grown ups all deserve to play in the sunshine,
soaking each other with water, or eating frozen juice
til it pours down your chin and makes you sticky!
Embrace the rain when it comes, it will cool you down
and water the plants, they need it, just like you do.
Which reminds me, please do all you can to look after the earth
and ensure that your children and their kids
will enjoy summer for many more years to come,
I'm relying on you.

So there we are, I did write a couple more, but I think three is enough for this week, plus I am in need of some sustenance and a nap, so it is time to put the laptop away for a bit.

I hope you enjoyed reading

Let me know what you think in the comments,

Lisa x