The air is still.
Not a leaf is moving in the canopy above me.
The heat wraps around me
Like a cozy blanket.

The geckos run to and fro
across the deck
Through the yard
Up and down the trees
With their roots splayed across the ground

Mockingbirds angrily scream
As one chases the other
Into a different tree.
Then, quiet returns
When the nest is safe.

Orange and black
Blue iridescence.
Fully morphed and freed
From their cocoons.

Summer morning in Florida.
Soon, the heat will be oppressive
And I’ll retreat indoors.
But for now
Even the heat seems luxurious.

By Deborah E. Dayen