It’s the start of summer.
I run outside in soft, bare feet and
a polkadot pink and white swimsuit, my skin
still pale and untouched by the much awaited sun.
The sprinkler spins its streams
through the air, cascading in an arc,
catching subdued beams of evening sunshine
in its clear wetness.
My small soles scamper across the wet grass.

Ryan and Kevin are outside, too.
Ryan’s tiny features are lit up, and
his bright blonde hair hangs perfectly from the wetness.
Kevin leads us through jumps and leaps
over the sprinkler and around in a circle.
Deep green grass shreds stick to my legs
and itch, and I stop for a moment in an attempt
to wipe them off, but they are there for good.
I ignore them and join in again in the rush
of water and excitement.

I love summer. I love everything about it-
The endless time filled with sun, friend’s backyards
and swingsets, ice cream dripping down a waffle cone,
popsicles that stain my tongue and lips ruby red,
sliding and swinging until I get called in for dinner,
then going back out again, screaming through the sprinklers
when it’s too hot to play outside, and going to
Camp Oqueoc and hanging out with the high schoolers.

Mom stands watching us from a few feet away,
and behind her, the sky lights up with the
crimson glow of a perfect summer sunset.
“Guys, it’s time to head inside,” says Mom,
knowing that it will be at least 3 minutes
before any of us will think about starting in.
We rinse off the best we can in the stream
of the sprinkler, and as an afterthought, wipe our
grassy, wet feet on the rug outside the screen door.
We run inside to a hot bath and good night of sleep,
preparing us for another summer day.