Naked salt watered skin

and skin watered by tears

the sound of tents being unzipped and poems being read

new friends across oceans, felt through screens

bloom after bloom after bloom after bloom

fingers sticky from toasted marshmallows

and plums fresh from the tree

the look of words on pages, written and underlined in black ink

his hands on her back and my mouth on his cheeks

and our arms around each other

pains that came both inevitable and unexpected

the deep earthy scent of tomato plants and failed bbqs

and sweaty bodies exasperated by middy sun

the long, deep shadows and painterly pink skies of dawn and sunset.

As the days roll in to Autumn and the air turns a cool, crisp shades of orange and grey, we say goodbye to summer.

LAURA AZIZ

SCRAPBOOK