What I Really Know About Summer Nights

by Arthur C. Ford,Sr.,poet
(Pittsburgh,PA.)

Having been born and bred in New Orleans,La., I know much about summer nights.

First of all, summer nights were like summer days, ninety-five degrees temperature and eighty-five degrees humidity. Wow! Believe it or not, this would last for ten straight months. But we were comfortable, because our bodies were climatized to those extremes.

Everyone wished that it would rain; and when it did, we were revived for awhile. But then,the gluey atmosphere absorbed the moisture of the rain, and the breathless situation returned. One of the most famous jokes asked is,”how high was the humidity?”,response,”it was so high, you can see fish swimming in the air”.

On the upside, girls wore their shorts as high as possible, and neighbors socialized outdoors even after dark. We enjoyed the constant chirpings of the birds, locust and other natural sounds of nature. Some local parks even had well-lited swimming pools opened during the summer nights.

For some folks, there was no need to visit tanning salons; just stay outdoors and your “God-sent tan” was delivered for free. For me and my friends, fishing during the hot summer nights always proved to be prosperous.

In conclusion, summer nights were excellent for romance;for preparation didn’t absorb much time,and sounds of love were surpressed by howling dogs.

Summer days became only a springboard for summer nights.

By: Arthur C. Ford,Sr., poet
Pittsburgh,PA.
EM:wewuvpoetry at hotmail.com

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