Canadian Summer Nights

Looking back now, I see everything.

The dark lake water that I once so feared,

As waves crash against the swaying pier.

Kids being thrown off banana boats,

The clouds passing by in easy strokes.

In the air, there lingers the scent of daisies,

The smell of gasoline and oak in the summer breezes.

The sizzling sound of burgers on the grill

Or the noise of water bubbling in the jacuzzi on the hill.

Maura screaming to her imaginary horse “giddy-up!”

Or the melody of the birds, chirping in a lineup.

The wooden deck is hot beneath my feet,

A splinter or two softly digging its way in on repeat.

My hair is plastered against my cheek

All wet and tangled from playing in the creek.

Eight years ago, but it all has stayed,

All my summer days and nights away.

The steps,

The grass

The sand

The lake

My matching outfits with my friend.

One change in a relationship, and everything’s plain

But the imprint of a memory will remain. 

- Beatrice