By: Gabriela Yareliz
SUMMER IN THE CITY [Inspired by: New York City]
Despite my autumn fever, yesterday’s 68-degree morning, and leaving the house with a jacket today, it is still officially a tourist-crowded-sidewalk NYC summer. People’s addiction to ice cream does not seem to be waning. I am slightly traumatized from last winter, and I do not want to dig out my leggings or boots quite yet. I guess we can start easing in– wearing jackets and light sweaters with Oxfords.
Summer is often associated with a kind of freedom, even in the working world. People tend to take vacations in the summer, travel and make little changes, like moving or the cutting of hair. The fact that school is starting makes the feeling of freedom *poof* disappear like a balloon filled with water popping in your face and sprinkling you while the rest of water splatters to the ground.
Still, the city is green. Something that won’t last too much longer. The trees are still fully dressed and rustling. The sunshine reminds us that we are humans living on Earth (unlike our dark winters), and the brightness reminds us to live.
Summer carries with it a lot of noise. Winter brings with it an unsettling quiet because no one wants to be out and about, boots crunching on the snow.
Flowers adorn corners of parks and some plants dare to reach up to heights only skyscrapers can boast of. They looks at us down below, smiling at us. Not haughtily, only in an endearing way.
It’s a time to be out at the South Street Seaport District watching old films outside on lawn chairs with cobblestone underneath. Little bulb lights on string blinking down from the Fulton Market area remind us of the stars hidden under fog and disguised in skyscraper glow.
It’s time to smile more, and really take time to appreciate all that will soon condense into cold.
SUMMER IN THE COUNTRY [Inspired by North Central Florida]
It’s stifling hot. The type of heat that doesn’t let you breathe, but that at the same time makes you sure that you are alive (maybe because it makes your blood boil). The heat invigorates you, while draining you. The sweat cleanses you, while soaking you.
It’s summer. The season where you can take an evening to watch orange and purple sunsets and take nights to see the stars. A season that casts a golden light on everything.
The world is painted gold. The fields are carpeted with rebellious flowers that don’t ask for permission to grow. The wind spreads their beauty, so they can decorate the sides of country roads. Little critters are outside, invested in adventures of all kinds. The air is perfumed with curiosity.
Children sit inside, under sun lights and white vents that spew out cool air. Fans hum, and spigots outside drip-drip, keeping rhythm. Trees fight the angry caterpillars who eat up all of their leaves. They stay green and leafy despite the inconsiderate eaters. Squirrels balance themselves on fences; their cheeks bulging with berries.
Thunderstorms prune the trees’ bad branches, and the rain inundates the sandy ground. Many complain of the heat and wait for their season of relief.
Still, people know that when the crisp air comes, they will miss summer’s sultry embrace.
GABRIELA YARELIZ 