.

July

The sounds of Nature presage
__And brilliantly exude
An all-compelling message
__Of carefree attitude.
 
The raven in the garden
__That’s cawing aw-aw-aw
And throaty-chirping martin
__We’re in July! they call.
 
It’s Summer! Ditch the guilt trip 
__And bleak work-ethic trap.
It’s time to loll or take a stroll,
__Eat barbecue and nap.
 
Forget the dietary rules;
__Today we’ll not comply
But eat ice cream and snooze and dream
__Because it’s now July.
 
Forget what’s on the docket
__Of dreary tasks we dread:
Change filters, mend your pocket,
__And weed the flower bed—
 
Those chores will wait for cooler days
__Arriving by and by.
For now, we daydream and we laze
__Because it’s still July.

.

.

Mary Gardner is a poet living in Florida.

NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets.

The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.

18 Responses

  1. Roy Eugene Peterson

    I loved this wonderful poem about July. You have captured the essence of the month as we wish it could be. This poem portrays the vivid ambience of the month in lilting rhythm and rhyme.

    Reply
  2. Paul A. Freeman

    I’m in England for most of July and this poem sums up what a great month it can be.

    Thanks for a galloping good read, Mary.

    Reply
  3. Margaret Coats

    July is the best of months because it includes no schooldays. Even in homeschool, when I could set the calendar myself, I let my children and Latin students experience “carefree attitude.”

    Reply
    • Mary Gardner

      Yes, July is a good month – I love the sunny days, flowers, and turtles in the back yard.

      Reply
    • Mary Gardner

      Thank you for the praise, Alec. I am pleased you found it lovely.

      Reply
  6. Shamik Banerjee

    The very beginning line charms the reader, and the rest add to his delight of reading this upbeat piece. No doubt it’s all about relaxing, lazing, and watching the garden as if it’s a theatre wherein the birds, flowers, and trees are the actors. Shun all chores and laze: that’s the motto! Those internal rhymes are an absolute treat! Thanks for this, Mary.

    Reply
    • Mary Gardner

      Thank you for the kind comments, Shamik. I’m glad you liked it. Internal rhymes make a poem dance.

      Reply
  7. C.B. Anderson

    Good stuff, Mary. July can be a bitch, but it doesn’t have to be.

    Reply
  8. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    What a wonderful poetic depiction of July in all her smoldering glory. I just love those lazy, hazy days of summer in Texas watching hummingbirds battle and the weeds grow. You have captured those carefree moments in the heat perfectly, Mary… and (as a lover of birds) I just love Evan’s accompanying picture.

    Reply
  9. Mary Gardner

    Thank you for the praise, Susan. I’m pleased that you enjoyed it. Hummingbirds, ice cream, sleep – what a great month!

    Reply
  10. Daniel Kemper

    I can do with some eating barbeque and listening to the ravens and just sweating free in the humidity (having come from NC, though now in CA). We rarely get humid days here, but they always take me back somewhere like perfume can do. You brought back some good summer memories.

    Reply
    • Mary Gardner

      Thank you, Daniel. I’m happy that it stirred up good memories.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.