Summer Solstice

so the sun reached warm into your pocket
and you decided to spend the afternoon swimming
in a hot river, bathing in the beams on hot rocks and
drying yourself with a hot towel. but soon, afternoon
had faded and 4 PM yawned into 5 and 6
and the sun carried on.

you remembered halfway through the evening
that it was the Summer Solstice. today the sun
would not relent, and you had no choice but to stay
in its light well past 9 PM.

for most, it was a day of celebration, of worship
to our Fire God. and you are no non-believer, but
lately your days have been so long already
that the sun only burns you now.
and night may not bring you peace,
but at least it cools you down.

but on Summer's Birthday you decided to stay outside
and try your best to befriend the light again. you held its rays in your hands
and spread red singes down your arms with your teeth grin-bared,
and yet, with hours stretching into days stretching into weeks stretching into months
and no release from the pain of living with silent tears down your back
from nights you are glad you do not remember
and days that last for decades

you could not help but hope
tomorrow would be
shorter