Source in Summer

by Tom Hatch

If clouds could lecture on color
and bats lecture on swoop and turn
Cicadas whole metered beat
teaching percussion
to the hum of air conditioners pressure
and pool pumps flowing tide
sitting in darkness
as the neighbors lights turned on
color learned from earlier clouds
the sound waves of small traffic
on the road behind the fence
going to bed soon as the breeze
is still behaving with truth
as the bats lead me
in a weavers pattern to Cicadas beat
with pumps and condensers
Leading finally to the house
The bats not directing in a straight
Line takes me into dawn
The cicadas treat me to this conga
Line of one in time to get ready
For work stumbling to the train station
Blaming the bats, cicadas and condenser
Pumps for a draining hangover