The Summer I Was Sixteen
The turquoise pool rose up to meet us,
its slide a silver afterthought down which
we plunged, screaming, into a mirage of bubbles.
We did not exist beyond the gaze of a boy.
Shaking water off our limbs, we lifted
up from ladder rungs across the fern-cool
lip of rim. Afternoon. Oiled and sated,
we sunbathed, rose and paraded the concrete,
danced to the low beat of "Duke of Earl".
Past cherry colas, hot-dogs, Dreamsicles,
we came to the counter where bees staggered
into root beer cups and drowned. We gobbled
cotton candy torches, sweet as furtive kisses,
shared on benches beneath summer shadows.
Cherry. Elm. Sycamore. We spread our chenille
blankets across grass, pressed radios to our ears,
mouthing the old words, then loosened
thin bikini straps and rubbed baby oil with iodine
across sunburned shoulders, tossing a glance
through the chain link at an improbable world.
This poem is written from 16 year old girls perspective, during the summer. I like the poem because the warming language makes me feel better and happier. When reading this it makes me feel like the warm summer sun is outside waiting for me. I believe that the "turquoise pool" implies a sense of calm and a time of peace.
ReplyDeleteThis poem makes me want summer to get here faster, becaue this poem is about summer though a sixteen year olds eyes. She talks about going sunbathing and eating with friends, and how the summer was calm for her. Sounds like a perfect summer. Overall a very good poem.
ReplyDeleteI love this poem. I feel like I can sort of relate to it, bacause I am 16 and was over the past summer. When i read this I just want summer and warm weather to come faster! I think that the word "dreamsicles" creates the fun and giddy feel to this poem. I also love the references to nature because I love being outside in the summer as well.
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