In this month
darkness comes late
leaves glisten for hours
in waning light

breezes calm the heat
a fan purrs in the room
while cats sleep
belly up

miniature moons
dance on a wall
then disappear

the roses in the vase
swell and unfold
petals curl
then drop too soon

the peaches too soft
the sun too bright

this desire I’ve carried
in my heart
finally
bursts open

like everything else
overripe
yet still so sweet.

Johanna Ely is Benicia’s sixth and current poet laureate.

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