unruly kings of summer

my hair, a dusty halo - frizz and knot,

freed from braids and buns, the comb and brush

on standby 'til more civil times. the hot

and muggy days did bring a sunburn's blush

that stuck throughout, the mud embedded in

my knees. unruly kings, we were: a creek

bed and a fallen tree, our realm. we'd been

compliant creatures, well-behaved and meek,

until the sun herself bestowed the crown:

now free to run and reign, to rule these days

by whim and fiat. wild and brave, way down

to our growing bones. the shimm'ring haze

of memory casts a glow upon our prime;

but I still carry in me some bold streak of summertime.