Here in the foothills
rise of wild blackberry
from shale creek beds
roadsides ruffled in tiger lilies
cast beer bottles and arrow heads
corn a knit of pearl rows
feathered leaves reflect
shards of sun
lush and cool as clover
where bees plunder
and bare feet glory
in the daze of fresh cut grass
and the sullen sky
waits impatiently
for the ice cream truck’s jangle
for lightening bugs
to make their lime flicker
for birch to quell
the lonesome thunder
and window fans to stutter.

Tim Louis Macaluso is an openly gay poet, writer, and award-winning journalist. He has worked in media for much of his career. Most recently, he was a staff writer for CITY Newspaper in Rochester, NY where he wrote extensively about poverty, urban education, and progressive politics. His poetry has appeared in numerous print and online publications, including ImageOutWrite.