Greetings from the Heat Dome

[TranquillityBase]

Greetings from the Heat Dome

I’d rather freeze than burn 
but a forever sun has other ideas 
here beneath the heat dome.
Heaven’s a rainy day in November 
but Heaven’s not going to show 
for 5 months or so.  I endure,
fueled by caffeine and nicotine patches
curtains drawn to close my eyes
sheltering in a machine-made autumn.

I try to think cooling thoughts
but thinking just adds to the heat index.

I imagine myself a nomad, 
chewing on dried buffalo meat
next to a frozen creek
musing on a snowy horizon. 

Here, have a piece, 
and move closer to my fire.
The sun is setting soon.  
We’ll curl up in a buffalo robe
paint a picture of a spring hunt
and count the winter ended.

[alonso ramoran]

Wow! What a poem. Love the title, the ending, how it melds into a dream, how it reads aloud, everything. Thanks for sharing.

AR

[Wjames]

I have had many summers without air conditioning, and can relate.

I like the second half a lot, the imagery is solid and I like the idea of someone in sweltering heat daydreaming about someone in frigid cold who is able to make the cold pleasant with their man made heat. In the daydream, the heat is pleasant - which is interesting.

[brynmawr1]

Greetings from the Heat Dome

I’d rather freeze than burn 
but a forever sun has other ideas 
here beneath the heat dome.
Heaven’s a rainy day in November         great line
but Heaven’s not going to show 
for 5 months or so.  I endure,
fueled by caffeine and nicotine patches
curtains drawn to close my eyes
sheltering in a machine-made autumn.

I try to think cooling thoughts
but thinking just adds to the heat index.        this too

I imagine myself a nomad, 
chewing on dried buffalo meat
next to a frozen creek
musing on a snowy horizon. 

Here, have a piece, 
and move closer to my fire.
The sun is setting soon.  
We’ll curl up in a buffalo robe
paint a picture of a spring hunt
and count the winter ended.

Hey,
The intimacy of the last two stanzas really drew me in. Great read.
bryn

[TranquillityBase]

I have had many summers without air conditioning, and can relate.

I like the second half a lot, the imagery is solid and I like the idea of someone in sweltering heat daydreaming about someone in frigid cold who is able to make the cold pleasant with their man made heat. In the daydream, the heat is pleasant - which is interesting.

This is probably before your time, but there was an old Twilight Zone episode where the world is burning up, everyone is slowly dying from the heat.  The clincher is that the main character wakes from a fever to find that actually the world is turning into an icy apocalypse.  Didnt hav it in mind at the time I wrote this, but it's sort of what I had in mind after the fact.

---

Wow! What a poem. Love the title, the ending, how it melds into a dream, how it reads aloud, everything. Thanks for sharing.

AR

Thanks!  It was meant to be merely fun, but turned somewhat serious in the end.

---

Hey,
The intimacy of the last two stanzas really drew me in. Great read.
bryn

Thanks Bryn.  Yes, as is often the case, those first lines ultimately guided me to something more substantial.

[Mark A Becker]

Hey Tim-
Me thinks it’s intentionally ironic that this one wound up in the FUN zone.

I’d say it’s a very cool poem if that’ll help relieve some heat.

“thinking just adds to the heat index” HA! good one!

I also like the contrast- imagining cold surroundings to fool yerself into a cooler state of mind.
 
Even the old cold shoulder could help in times like this.
Icebergs to ya,
Mark

[TranquillityBase]

Hey Tim-
Me thinks it’s intentionally ironic that this one wound up in the FUN zone.
Possibly, but the original poem had more humor.  Then I got to the last part and did some heavy editing.
I’d say it’s a very cool poem if that’ll help relieve some heat.
It does.
“thinking just adds to the heat index” HA! good one!
Some day we must have an intellectual discussion about whether imagination is the same as thinking.  I'm not sure it is.  Guess it depends on your defintions.
I also like the contrast- imagining cold surroundings to fool yerself into a cooler state of mind.
It sort of works.  I've also resorted to "cold" movies.
Even the old cold shoulder could help in times like this.
HA! back to you.  Maybe I'll go ask  20 something for a date.  That should do it.
Icebergs to ya,
Mark

[Mark A Becker]

during a bad heat wave all you can do sometimes
is wave back

accept defeat, get naked, and howl at the sun

limit all activity: do not move or breathe
that should take care of it

Hell has no fury like a woman scorned
and Mother Nature is really pissed

don’t worry about going to Hell
it’s coming to us

(hopefully these pleasant thoughts
will help you chill out)