Hot Flash Friday=The List Memoir

Summer is half over. I know hard to believe. But the 4^th of July signals that we are past the solstice of the longest day and once again moving toward shorter days.
A list poem is a combination of haiku and the prosaic list. It is an itemization but also creative way of looking at something.

Here is an example from my own archives:

You know summer is over when

—snow piles up on window ACs.

You know summer is over when

—all the swimming pools are empty hulls.

You know summer is over when

—the streets glisten from icy rain.

You know summer is over when

—you shiver stepping out of the shower.

You know summer is over when

—even the dogs put on jackets.

You know summer is over when

—the marigolds die.

You know summer is over when

—they bring the patio umbrella inside.

You know summer is over when

—the mice run into the house.

You know summer is over when

—Starbucks begins to advertise their Pumpkin Chai Latte.

You know summer is over when

—the lake turns green beneath a slate gray sky.

Right now write—a list memoir. What is it you still need to do this summer, the bike rides, the grill outs, the concerts in the park. Or the friends you need to meet up with. Write your own list.

Joseph Sterling

From 1958 -1964 Joseph Sterling photographed teenagers mostly around the Chicago area. This is from the book “The Age of Adolescence”