lilting on warm winds,
now dappling, now dappled;
days of daylilies

I love these days of the daylilies. They are now blooming all over St. Louis in plantations both intentional and haphazard. Their colors seem exotic, more apt for a jungle than a Midwestern river town. They do begin to thrive when it is steamy like a jungle, when the temps head into the 90s and the humidity edges toward 100%. It is a time when the days are long and one can do any number of things after work from gardening to taking a long bike ride. And for me the least amount of activity causes my shirt to becomes saturated with perspiration. Yes, on one level it is rather bothersome and unpleasant. But on another level it is just the necessary atmosphere for summer in St. Louis, both actually and metaphorically. And I am here for it.