Summer Days (At the Equator)

By Lorraine Caputo

Sometimes the sky is like a mirror …

One expects to see the dawn’s colors cresting the eastern horizon.

But not this day. The first rays’ blush is reflected in the south …

With a bit of patience, the scarce clouds gather the rising sun’s palette, the sky turns a brighter blue … backdropping the unfolding chiaroscuro of the cityscape

II.

Late afternoon

the tin roof strains

in the relámpago wind –

swift lightning

slices this strong

summer sun

III.

After nightfall, chilled constellations sketch the sky.

Venus & a crescent moon spin above the western volcano.

& in the east, crimson Mars begins its ascent.

& hanging in the balance … bright Jupiter …

Wandering troubadour Lorraine Caputo is a poet, translator and travel writer. Her works appear internationally in over 500 journals and 24 collections of poetry – including In the Jaguar Valley (dancing girl press, 2023). She also authors travel narratives, articles and guidebooks. She was honored by the Parliamentary Poet Laureate of Canada (2011), and is a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize nominee. Caputo has done literary readings from Alaska to the Patagonia. She journeys through Latin America with her faithful knapsack Rocinante, listening to the voices of the pueblos and Earth.