Remembering Peter’s Lake
by Ruthie Hamgeri

You don’t think to care about the
sand in your hair, or the vampire-like
insects that leave reddening, itchy bumps
on your skin, or the pruning of

your hands and feet that makes you feel as though
you are turning, forming into a full-fledged
creature of the lake.

You submerge your head in the water, so that
Mother’s warning words — “Time to head back!” — get
muffled and seem like a world away. You beg body

and mind to soak up any essence of the beach, to take
these moments home with you: the lulling of the waters,
the sun’s warm breath on your skin, the gleeful calls of friends that
join the current’s pull to go further, deeper, until you can’t
see or feel the ground beneath you.

You scan your eyes over the scene of summer’s children, who are
shrieking and running, and summer’s parents keeping one eye
on watch and the other gazing at the blissful sight, as the sun thinly
spreads magenta-orange rays goodbye, and the moon slowly
purses cool lips to kiss the water with a glow.

You do not think of driving away tomorrow, and
a distance of miles turning,
forming into years.

PHOTO: “Girl in lake at dusk” from favim.com.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: When it comes to writing poetry, sometimes I have to wait for inspiration, but sometimes I have to simply sit down and write with no direction, no thought. I enjoy the latter type of process because it is almost supernatural to see the mechanical writing become something meaningful — or become poetry. A professor of mine used to say that the worst thing a poet can do is sit down and write knowing exactly what they want to say and how. For me, poetry has become more about exploration and discovery, so I like to let the writing get the better of me, and follow the words rather than vice-versa. This is what happened with this particular poem!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ruthie Hamgeri lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and is wrapping up her college career with a B.A. in Computer Science. She has been writing since her thoughts merely scribbles on any surface she could find, but began writing poetry in the seventh grade. She is seeking to immerse herself in the world of poetry, by reading works of established poets and aspiring poets like herself, writing, revising, and re-revising, and attending poetry readings, etc. Ruthie hopes that someday she can publish her own collection(s) of poetry.https://silverbirchpress.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/remembering-peters-lake-poem-by-ruthie-hamgeri-beach-and-pool-memories-poetry-and-prose-series/