Written: July 17, 2025, for contest Sponsored by: X F Lacasse
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From the anvil of solar eclipse flame ~
Sunsmith struck with a mallet lit by light
Blows hump the sky ablaze by molten might—
a yellow nepenthe for summer's shame!
Sapphire sea warbles hymns amid her name
cy(press) woods rostrum by a hedge of white—
shades turned long as time that denied the night ~
Below straw frame—time seems to be the same.
She wafts the fruit till flesh begins to burst!
unbuttoning the orchards one by one —
her breath is spice, her (kiss) an early thirst ~
a blaze baptized in laughter, sweat, and sun
Yet 'neath her crown, a melancholy hides—
a knowing nod to how the sear subsides?
TEXAS SUMMER'S EMBRACE
Poem written for Summer Sonnets Poetry Contest, XF Lacasse, sponsor
Beneath Texas skies, wildflowers bend and sway.
Soft zephyrs tease the hair around my face.
There’s a hush at noon--a humid, lazy day.
Cicadas hum their songs in summer’s embrace.
The sky, a canvas painted azure bright,
With cotton candy clouds drifting by, soft and slow.
Evening’s glow, a tender, amber light,
Invites the stars to dance over rugged Edwards Plateau.
Yet in this warmth, a fleeting shadow lies,
For time, like dust, slips through my open hands.
Summer laughter fades; the season softly sighs,
Moments disappear like footprints in the sands.
So I shall cherish summer’s fleeting grace
In Texas’ warm embrace, finding solace in this place.
©2025 Sara Etgen-Baker
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