I wish I could can summer
To be opened all year through
Bottle its warmth and sweetness
Just a little spoonful will do

I’d pick it like a peach
Caress it in my hands
Inhale the sweet scent
Of sea, salt, and sand

I’d peel it back in layers
Like husks on corn
Feel toes in grass, a warm breeze pass
Like a new summer day being born

I’d crush it like a tomato
To release all flavor
Taste watermelon, and grilled burgers
Each bite, I would savor

I’d cook it up like berries
Spread around the sweet preserves
Generously slather on long, full days
When short winter days bother nerves

Open up a jar
To be warmed by the sun
Feel heat on skin, dive right in!
And have a little fun

Stir up a bit of laughter
On those sober, chilly days
Recall the freedom of summer
When life feels cold and gray