SUMMER’S NAP

Still…
the very air was still
hiding in the shade of the trees
waiting for the cooling breeze.

A metal symphony played
on the rusty tin roof above me
while the sunbeams streamed
through my fingers
as I sprawled on the mat
over cracked red concrete
fighting the afternoon nap
prescribed by my zealous mother
to ward off the summer chills.

But my eyes shifted from behind
half-closed lids watchful
of shadows flowing with the day
my ears strained to hear
the afternoon rhythm
underscoring summer days –
the humming of the kite above the clouds
the call of a bird
the chunk-clunk of the manual sewing machine

lulled me…
lulled me…..

into that invisible realm
where children run through rice paddies
laughter trailing behind them
as they plunged into a neighbor’s orchard
for the forbidden sun-kissed mangoes

there I stayed
until the aroma of banana fritters
wafting from the kitchen
called me back
into the land of the living.

~~~~

Yay!  I am sorry I have not visited a lot of you.  The days after a vacation, short or long, are always catch up times with household stuff.   I will catch up with your posts and comments one way or the other.  Thank you so much for bearing with me and for coming by. 🙂