Inspired by “Summertime” sung by Janis Joplin
Take me to a park, set me on a swing. Let your feverish voice push me higher, higher, until I can tiptoe on leaves to the sky. Let me ride on a breeze – a path cut through smothering August; rest of the world stands still. Rest of the world held down by heat. Humidity reaching in through their mouths grabs hold of their lungs and juices them. Throw my head back sweep the dirt with my hair – push me higher higher until I
just
let
go.
photo credit: digitizedchaos
{ 15 comments }
I know I sound like a broken record, but love it! And I don't know if I've ever told you, but I LOVE your avatar. Love it!
Love it. Everyone needs to read something like this every so often. Just to get out of our heads and start living.
Stopping by from Mama Kat's.
Absolutely adorable… Love this post!
Love J.J.'s interpretation of the song (though it is the sound of a live singer singing at home in her courtyard, voice wafting over the roofs of the neighborhood on a hot summer night in Japan that first comes to mind…)!
Such a true personification of humidity! The scene captures summer beautifully!
Beautifully written! It makes me long for summer all over again – only i remember how unbearably hot it was around here then. Gah, if only I could have one and not the other.
I left an award for you on my blog.
A wonderful evocation of childhood, when it was always summer.
Love the higher higher that refers to the child on the swing, but also to the rising heat. And especially like the hair trailing the ground image.
Elizabeth
I absolutely love poems about swinging. Have written a few myself, but this was positively delightful!
I miss my swinging days, and your poem brought back days of swinging and hot summertimes, which didn't seem so bad when when we were kids! I am so jealous of people who can write poetry.
I hate August, but I do remember that hair-brushing-the-ground feeling.
nicely done…inspired by the great janis……reminds me of summertime at the Filmore in SF with her and Country Joe and The Fish…
Super response to your inspiration. I loved the hair in the dirt, too — puts me in that swing with the narrator.
oh yes.. even I feel like, just letting go
<a href="http://leonnyes.wordpress.com/2010/08/22/summers-gala/">Leo's</a>
Oh, yes, this sings with the joy of swinging. Beautiful!
This brought back so many memories to me…and makes me want to just SWING!
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