Cruel Summer

... just some 80's music blues...

Cruel Summer

It’s a long cruel summer

since you’ve been gone;

starless skies

greet dreamless nights

and shadows eat my sight.

I thought it would be easy

not ever seeing you,

but everything I do

calls me to unsaid words

unwritten

unspoken

in many colors, but mostly blue.

~~~

Life is mostly hard,

filled with pain

abuse that makes no sense

and leaves us hollow sometimes.

Whether it’s at the hands 

of those who raise us,

or the one who promises

to love us forever.

And worse, we sometimes lose

the ones we love the most-

gone

like mourning dew

on a warm summer’s day.

~~~

I know all this,

honestly I do.

Yet I never thought

it was you I would lose.

Don’t ask me why

I can not explain

my Daliesque dream

that you would remain.

Perhaps it was my penchant

at windmill jousting;

or reading too much into

Cervantes’ and his chivalrous 

Dulcinea desires

that imaged you 

dancing from chandeliers

or around those gypsy fires

on cool spring nights;

teasing me into submission

and confessing my “sins”

of falling for you.

I have no words

or rationale for any of this.

I just know 

it’s a long cruel summer

since you’ve been gone, 

leaving me all alone.

~~~

Maybe today,

while it’s sunny and warm,

I can find my sanity,

the rationale

to get out on my own

and sing some silly

80's songs.

Aztec Warrior/redzone 6.26.16 

Author's Note

.... thanks for reading... not sure why I wrote this, but then I found this song... some 80's songs were silly yes, but also had that beat and moved your feet... plus the video is filmed here in NYC.. enjoy..

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

really enjoyed the imagery and feel the pain ... so for me "it's a Yes!!!" ;) sorry... been watching too much America's Got Talent :))
especially appreciate your closing ...we do pick our remnants off ...and begin that healing process ... dance to silly songs and heartbeats ... :{

E.

[redzone]

OMG(gosh) I got a "YES"!!! lol!! ;0) Thanks E, that was really special and much appreciated...

[Einstein Noodle]

:) ...............

[Sami Khalil]

Life has all four seasons for a purpose. It keeps us in a sense of wonder and windmill grinding. All the range of human emotions act or react to different meanings we draw from experience. You write with style and wisdom...Musically, too...:).............

[redzone]

I enjoyed your "seasonal" review, going with all 4 and also true... no matter when or where, we do draw experiences... thanks Sami for your wonderful comment, you always do this..

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome in any season...:)..................

[Inject Positivity]

This poem contains the melancholic memories of losing someone very close... I think your free flowing thoughts guides the poem in sad but very thought provoking mood to the reader... It reminds me of my frnd who committed suicide just 20 days ago... The construction of the poem and soft touching word choices makes it stand out for the reader... Excellent work... God bless you...

Sincerely
Dhiman

[redzone]

aaawwww thank you Dhiman, love your nice comment...

[cimmy wuv xxxooo]

Very meaningful and heart wrenching poem.
Really felt the emotion in this piece, very sad but very great piece.
Very deep piece as well.
I enjoyed the read.

[redzone]

thank you for the nice comment and visit... glad you enjoyed reading...

[cimmy wuv xxxooo]

your welcome anytime :)

[Usman Muhammad]

Your poem has touched my heart, although I am too young to understand the pain behind this writing but your words speaks for the pain you feel everyday, remembering those beautiful days.
Life is uncertain and sometimes takes from us our beloved ones, with whom we wish to live forever...
Even I don't know that either I will live long enough to feel as you feel or I will be one of those who will leave the world too early.

I love every line of this poem but the most beautiful thing is how you have related the lives of those which you loved most with that of morning dew. Dew is one of the most beautiful thing to watch but when time comes it just vanishes away while you want to feel it and wish for it's permanent existence but it leaves no trace and this is, what hurts most.
I am excited to read your other writings.
Stay blessed

[redzone]

thanks so much for your kind words and visit Usman...

[Ruth]

Your poetry is so abound with acceptance, I find. The harshness to life at times leads us to a new circle of understanding and hopefully with more insight. I used to love this song and Bananarama :) As always, a decadently woven poem that lingers in the heart :)

[redzone]

hey Poppy wonderful to see you in this poem... and another Bananarama fan!! I must be weird cause I do miss her...

[barleygirl]

This is the most uninhibited & heartfelt I've ever felt you express your feelings about anything. There are so many intensely-stated sentiments backed up with amazing imagery & so much imagination. You have this way of expressing even the tough stuff in life, yet putting it together with so many lovely observations, it doesn't ever feel like a bleak read, but just a celebration of everything that makes up life -- the ups & the downs. Your life view is similar to my own, in that I embrace all the tough stuff, along with the beautiful stuff, all of it being the unique tapestry of life that we have to work with. And, as always, I love the way you weave music into your writing (((HUGS)))

[redzone]

thanks Margie for your keen insights into this poem... your words are a poem in themselves... to live life with all that it means, the good, the bad, the ugly, the truly horrible... I was saying to Lydi below, how I used this song because of it's bitter sweet flavor... I always love when you visit and comment leaving pieces of you here...

[jacob erin-cilberto]

makes me remember my mom, my friend Paula and other close friends i have lost along the way...ones i thought i would grow old with, ones i always felt would be around..

but alas they are not---it seems each bead of sweat in the hot summer pours out of my heart for them.

love this poem...makes me kind of sad for the memories...but it's a word filled journey that is a pleasure to read.

j.

[redzone]

wow Jacob, while I am glad you went on my word journey, I am also sorry these words invoked hard memories and those beads of heart sorrows for your mom and Paula... it is always hard to lose those we hold so dearly to our hearts... and know too I will gladly share in your pain...

[Lydia Shutter]

Some of those shadows just eat too damn much....till they devour all positivity in life. I have always liked this song....the beat is lively and makes me want to dance and yet the words are not so happy. So, Curt, you go jousting at those windmills and believe you can win because you know what? You CAN and you do every time you write a "nice" poem like this. Besides, sanity is highly overrated so who needs it anyway? I enjoyed this very much. Lydi**

[redzone]

"the air is so heavy and dry" "it's a cruel cruel summer"... When I started to write this poem I remembered this song and realized it was bitter sweet in the way you describle... why I continued to use it was because it also in the beat and dancing made me realize that even with the "cruel" they were having fun in the video, they weren't just lamenting... so I wrote the ending more in this light, even though I do miss not having her around.... does this make sense at all??? especially since there is no sanity here.. nope, none!! lol... besides I am butt bumping to the beat of your "nice" review... Hey I must practice if I am gonna dance with you and Shirley... In the words of Flip Wilson, "Watch Out"!! ;0)

[Lydia Shutter]

and "here come da judge, here come da judge, order in the court cause here come da judge!: LOL yes, it makes sense....which scares the hell out of me!

[Ana Papaya]

I remember this one, loved this song.
Your poem is beautiful, you have such a lovely way with words.

[redzone]

funny how mostly all we have are words and at the same time they become elusive... good thing for music as often it brings the words abck into focus... I am glad you like this poem and remember the music...

I am going to be writing a poem for all you "crazy" as well as "sane"(if there is such a thing) Canucks... lol maybe post tomorrow or tues when done...

[Ana Papaya]

I can't wait to read it! :)

[redzone]

I will let you know