Elegy for Vermillion Summer

Was it the influx of the students
Or when shorts in ev'ning became imprudent
When darkness crept into morning walks
That I realized with bitter shock
That summer - my fleeting, fickle friend -
Was quickly coming to an end
In manic frenzy I try to fit
All the summer I can get
Before the bloom of socks and sweaters
Heralds the approach of cooler weather
O sun and sweat and golden skin
O porch and hammock time within
O late night bikes through sticky air
O platz and potluck with beer to share
And though I live here for many reasons
I often cite the changing seasons
And often say that crispy Fall
Is what Vermillion does best of all
Still, stubbornly, I resist surrender
And mourn the close of summer splendor