Day Three of Heavy Heat

It’s hot and humid
here on the East Coast.
Thank goodness for AC,
but staying inside leaves me feeling cooped up.
Tired and lethargic, I drowse on the couch
with a book of Japanese poems,
my thumb marking the page.
Eyes still closed,
I awake from sleep
and wiggle my thumb to know
that the book is still there.

written June 25, 2025