Summer at Plum Rose's (dedicated to my gradmother)

Tree lanterns, burping blue, ladybug red, orange-ripen gold, firefly green
Swing above
Me in tree swing, grilled food, and jubilee
Tree lanterns: glow green, on off, on off
Shake it little baby
Never raining,
Sweet smell of matured wood and cut yard
The red and white shed in the distance
held my baby pool.
Momas, get the bugs out, I can’t get in with the bugs.
Gravel roads,
boardwalk and beach are near.
The tart taste of salty coral and seaweed stay on our tongues,
flavoring our squeals of joy.
All floating together with old cows, old ladies, and pinochle.

House, white with royal blue window panes and sun porch
Great aunts and uncles swing by, making holes
in the screen door as they enter all on
one floor, all in stained-wood panels:
Guest room, small brown wooden statues,
the elephant with a real ivory tusk missing
Was my favorite,
Living room
Family Room, with swivel arm chairs
Kitchen --
Sitting in my tall-chair getting sly sneaks of coffee on a teaspoon.
Come on Little Girl Let’s Play.

She smoked then, but I never remember its smell
Never pungent from her spotted with sweat, floral cotton dresses
Or in her Clairol brown hair