Summer's Right Of Refusal Poem by Bill Upton

There is plenty of summer left
Regardless of what the calendar says,
No matter the school busses on every corner.
Football season starts next week,
And the swimming pools have begun to close,
But no matter what it looks like,
There is plenty of summer left.
Sunshine overrides calendars.
Blue skies strengthen the resolve of the heart.
Summer mentality is the toughest to break.
No one roots against it.
It always has home field advantage.
Something so necessary to mental health
Does not give up without a fight-
An emotional battle that will not compromise.
We hold on for dear life,
Wringing the last drops to savor it.
No matter what anyone says,
There is plenty left
Of whatever we consider 'summer'.
Each year it has to be pried from our grip,
And each year it gets harder to hold.
And every year it becomes shorter in our minds
Than the year before.
It remains so precious because it represents
Our youth,
Our memories,
Our love of life.

No, don't let them tell you that summer's gone.
Not now-
And
Not Ever.