Mid-June Sizzler

The air shimmered, a wavering mirage, Heatwaves rippling through the afternoon, A furnace blast, relentless and fierce. Shadows retreating, thin as whispers, Concrete burning underfoot, Even the cicadas silenced, stunned by the blaze. Mirrors of light, cruel and blinding, Sky a bleached canvas, stark and hollow, Leaves curling, thirsting, brittle to touch. Breath searing, every inhalation a shock, Sweat beads forming, reluctant to cool, The sun an unyielding overlord, unsparing in its gaze. Silent streets, deserted, still, Nature hiding, subdued by the glare, This unexpected inferno, a summer’s merciless grip.