When it all Burns

Another warning on the heat index, but I want to spend time hanging out by the pool. The water is warm and any steamier would be a giant hot tub. Reapply of sunscreen and still somehow get a sun/heat rash. It burns and itches right next to bug bites and some regular sunburn. I shower off the chlorine and it all burns under the water, skin hurting and irritated while constantly pulling out creams and tying not to scratch.

Next light a candle and start the oven. I burn myself with a pan and spill hot wax all over myself. The AC spurts and spits trying to keep up, but only properly cools down in the evening. I water the plants wondering if they can ever get too much sun. The pavement outside smells like burning rubber and I pour a glass of whiskey for my throat to burn along with it all. The trash everyone pours into the dumpster blows in the wind and smells like rancid rot.

I go to my car and sit on the sizzling seat with thighs burning. I drive to buy an ice cream to cool off, but melts sticky on my thighs and is all over the steering wheel. Any little moment spent outside just running a small errand leaves me as sweaty as if I had a day of full exercise. Of course these are the nights the fair comes to town. Hot bodies in pain slam against rides and red faced people yell at children who try to cut the line in front of them.

The next day at an art fair I wonder how paint isn't just melting right off of each canvas as people say catty criticisms at the art and tick off the sellers. At a restaurant afterwards it is a hot room of people yelling why service isn't good enough with wait staff trying not to look sweaty. Kids at the playground down the road slide down burning slides and throw rocks at one another.

People stand a little too long in front of the open freezer at the grocery store, annoying people who want their frozen food. The freezer at home isn't big enough for the ice cube tray amount wanted. The ice melts too fast and dilutes a delicious drink. The squishy toy in my purse melts to it and chapstick turns to squish, smashing and wasting. Missing bonfires and fireplaces too hot to enjoy. Socks always turn sweaty with closed toed shoes and open toed ones get dirty.

Phones short circuit in the heat, hot batteries and malfunctioning electronics. Can't look at your phone too long outside. Hair frizzing out of place and usually pulled or pushed back. Makeup melting and palms sweating with every touch. Slipping off handles and touching other sweaty germs. Wipes and hand sanitizer used to the max.

Candy melts and the backseat needs a cooler just to transport milk five minutes down the road. Animals shed their extra fur the vacuum cleaner chokes on. There is always melted and congealed art supplies on the floor. Oil pastels? Paint? Clay? Scraping it off the floor is quite the process.

I put out water for the birds to splash and bathe in. I think about them flying around in the scorching heat wondering if it drains their flying energy. My cats for some reason still sunbathe and turn into a heating pad of fur. At least they are happy the sun blares through the windows. I use the sun as natural light and only turn on a few lamps inside so hot bulbs aren't constantly running. It is too hot for my flowers to keep their bloom and they wilt as I wait for them to be able to cool off and thrive in the fall.