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Thursday's Thunder



In The Afternoon:
The loosest cotton still traps heat. Every breeze is embraced. People are walking in food halls to linger in freezer aisles, they are loitering at every air-conditioned doorway, they are sitting on shaded benches, postured like slightly deflated balloons. There's no explanation for the girl in a woollen hat. Girl and hat cause ripples of surprise. Only ripples: it is too hot for waves. Plymouth's streets hover heat.
In The Evening:
All the city errands are done. The air is thick, a clear fog, even in the wood shade, even at the river's edge. Coolness lies in the murk of water, calm as a carp. Beyond the upside down trees, clouds reflect.
Later, wet clothes are dumped in a washing machine; from the doorstep of an untidy house, a thunderstorm is observed. 




Comments

The Cranky said…
The only thing permanent is change... is it odd that I take a great deal of comfort from that thought?
We have the opposite weather just now; a polar vortex again, and what are typically some of the hottest days of summer are now reminiscent of September.
17 July 2014 at 22:58
Geo. said…
"Beyond the upside down trees, clouds reflect."

I do believe you've improved the haiku by eliminating 7 internal syllables. Nobody else has successfully done that. My compliments and admiration!
18 July 2014 at 03:39
Stephanie Faris said…
Beautifully put! It's funny how an afternoon storm in the summer always takes me back to childhood!
21 July 2014 at 15:29
Lisa Southard said…
Jacqueline, we will trade you this heat for a cooler day if you like :-) Building up to another storm out here I think! Change represents flow and flow has a distinct comfort in it. Permanent but not stagnant, very likable indeed :-)
Geo, I am relieved the haiku has survived the removal of its internal syllables. In truth of course I did not do any counting at all but then genius always has that touch of fluke :-) xx *am laughing at self in case there is any confusion*
Stephanie, storms make a great impression on childhood- we take note of things in a different way when its fresh to us I think.
THANK YOU everyone for reading and commenting- I am rather the hermit even online these days but all the better to throw a bigger story at you my dears!
22 July 2014 at 23:10
Teresa Cypher said…
Lisa, this is so beautiful. It just oozes incredible description after incredible description. I'm starting to think that it's not such an exceptionally beautiful place you live in, but that you see things with an exceptionally beautiful eye. :-) How have you been?
23 July 2014 at 00:22
Lisa Southard said…
Hello Teresa :-) It's a bit of both, I think: there is much beauty here but I train myself to perceive all kinds of beauty. Then the world is always beautiful, it makes for a happy life! I have been Busy and hopefully by year's end will have a novel out to prove it...
24 July 2014 at 09:50
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