i remember the summer of ‘76. the sudden bought paddling pools filled with counterfeit water. long days of scorching sun spent in a garden of waterr fights and bathing. unsteady chairs led to photo opportunities rectified by cucumber sandwiches and cheap lemonade. a musical tone summoned icy reinforcements, devoured too quickly as sticky pools formed. women with bowls and pans waited by tankers in hope of a tea and children rejoiced at no baths. dirty heads baked as the bees lazily danced from plant to plant. at night, the midnight cowboys entered the back sprinkling with forbidden hose. curtains twitched and made notes. no sun lotion then, just hot skin and a dash to the pool. ozone not a word spoken. how did summers become so short since? the repetitive tone has faded and we fear to step outdoors. a world viewed in HD and CGI, yesterday a fantasy.