Last Summer
Hey, guys!
Do you remember
That great day last summer
When we had a box party
From Tim’s truck
When we swam in the lake
And laughed so much?
Do you remember
How the sun shone from a blue sky
And the wind bowled along
The little clouds
Till they looked like
John’s husky puppies tumbling
And rolling together?
We raced each other
Across the beach, shouting
Feeling so good
And the sand felt so good
And the sun on our skin
Felt so good
And the beer tasted so good
And the lake looked so good
We all had the same thought
How would it feel
To rival the loon
To swim like the pickerel
To feel the cool water slide
Around and over us?
In a moment we had all striped off
A short, fast run to the water’s edge
A dive, a splash, a shout
And we were part of the lake
Revelling in the coolness
Calling to each other
Naked in the sun
Do you remember that crowd of girls?
Giggling, interested in us?
That shocked mother shielding the eyes
Of her children from our maleness
That group of little boys
Chattering to each other
Jealous of our manhood?
Hey, guys!
Do you remember
That great day last summer
When we ran naked into the lake
And the world was a wonderful place?
If only we could laugh together like that
Always
Poem Written in: Pickle Lake, North-western Ontario | July 1979