July Sonnets

July; topaz on summer’s diadem

Dazzling creek-banks embellished with wild bloom

A misty, musky, sweet-dusk gilded gem

Co-mingling of both haste and languid plume

The ivy wanders over gate and fence

Enticing us to gardens and sea-shores

A sentimental door of lenience

As dictation of routine softly snores

We linger in cool shadow-haunts and pools

Lulled by the hum of lawn-mowers and such

Like children breaking duty’s rigid rules

We revel now beneath the sultry touch

Of amber noon and amethyst sundown

July; jade jewel on summer’s fair crown

July; strawberry-flavored offering

The burly tones of winter long forgot

As breezes fall beneath the murmuring

Of hazy sighs and hues shimmering, hot

Yet, we embrace the perspiring mid-day

This suffering, not harsh or hard to bear

Our voices drifting, soft and far away

As we fill baskets with ruby-red fare

This is the hour that we hungered for

Of honeybees and strawberry-kissed grins

This is the road that leads to sandy shore

Where the end of our school-year care begins

This is the pinnacle of azure sky

And surging meadowland; this is July

Here summer splurges with sanguine caress

We reach for her; can anyone resist

Her whisper giggling in the poplar-tress

Or crooning in the morning’s purple mist?

Quick raindrops plunk into the silky dust

Where bare-feet dash, seeking timber-lined trail

As we surrender to the wanderlust

Of daisy-field or willow-song regale

Its melody wafting upon the scent

Of fresh-cut grass or clover canticle

The busy noise of our discontent

Relenting to its sweeping spectacle

July; where heat waves ripple placidly

And we, earth’s little people swim its sea

© Janet Martin

We've had a soft start to July, a slow running of hands over wedding plans, a sweet lingering on its shimmering afternoons, and long languid evenings.