The Sun Bakes The Soil.

The sun bakes the soil.

These days it’s always that way.

Rain? That’s yesterday.

Ways my sister beats the heat:

Ketxup

It’s hot.

The kind of hot that sinks into your eyelashes, weighing them down with your sweat as you take in too much sun.

The hot days never leave.

Stay inside ‘till the AC makes you chilly.

Or go outside, soak up some sun.

Our AC breaks and we get a fan;

Another to join the summer collection on our bottom shelves.

She always forgets to put on sunscreen and comes back in all red. Dad laughs when she hisses at Mom’s touch. Mom applies the aloe-vera cautiously when she yells.

Watch movies in the basement.

(It’s cooler down there)

She gets upset when we turn the tv off for a break.

Mom has ice water for her when she lounges in the living room.

One time she throws a cube or two at me.

I don’t mind, I duck and dash out.

Mom tells me I’m being a tease, stop annoying her.

I laugh with my brother when we get down the hall.

Eat ice cream in the kitchen,

Or with your friends in the town’s square.

There’s a big statue there, A war memorial. We sit in the shade of surrounding trees.

She pretends the people with her are friends.

I drag her away.

She cries when I say we have to get home. Says Mom can wait a little longer. She pouts after I close the door behind her.

Get in the car, get out of here.

Or stay to wait for a breeze.

The ground is always dry here. It was wet back where we used to be, But it’s soaked in the places we’re going.

Sometimes, the days are quieter;

She’s out of the house, Or she’s in a good mood.

But she never leaves.

Just like the hot days.

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“she” refers to my sister in all of the instances it is used