Bursting blueberries dark as the waters off Maine,
Abundant Long Island Daisies, perennial show-offs of late summer,
Blackberries plucked from the bush, staining fingers and mouths,
Yellow sunflowers nodding from extravagant heights,
Succulent apricot and peach juices dripping from chins,

Back to school supplies anticipating another academic year,
Indolent, hot, lazy afternoons lingering on the beach,
Red lobsters splashed with freshly squeezed lemons,
Tomatoes as plump and tasty as childhood memories,
Husked fresh corn on the cob rolling in creamery butter,
Days delineated by longer evenings and your birth,
Added forever to the gifts of August,
Yesterday’s gifts, now only a luminous dream.

From First Edition (Rock Village Publishing, 2005).
Used with permission.