Saddest Photographs Ii - Sepian Vision Poem by Norman F. Santos

I can picture you
In the maladroit summer noon
That lingers to find a home
At the cradles of your mirthful veneer
Frozen by the benches of the gymnasium
With a saccharine novel in hand
That your busy eyes vaguely read
And a purring smile on your face
That oaths to never fade
A pristine repose apt to quell summer;
The beating scorches of the heat
And lathering monotony of the cicadas
Just to become a bright panorama
Of summer embraced by a yellow dress
Inexorably dabbing my ill-piquing
From engaging in the least nubile sport
To become more of a man
And don an ounce of machismo:
A worthy show for a spectator
While pretending that you’re watching me try
I’ll be watching you watch me in sly.