last summer -
you laughed
at the hot people.

you sat - new sandals on -
looking delicate,
somewhat nervous -
trying to look cool.

you said :
i don't want to hear
about the heat anymore
to the guy
who works outside every day.

why don't you wear
a wet tea shirt and
stand in front of a fan.

you said:
i have ceiling fans
and i take public transit.
stop stop stop
talking about the heat!!!!!

now -
this summer,
as the worst heat still
l i n g e r s
and crawls across the continent
and jumps overseas,
i wonder
what you are thinking ?

did you get hot
on the subway ?
how were the gas fumes from the cars ?
did you notice the smog ?
did you feel the fury of last nights storm ?
did your power go out ?
do you walk past the people without homes,
the people in rooming houses
where it is hotter inside than out ?
do you not notice
that almost everyone
is sweating ?
that noone is sitting leisurely at the
outdoor terraces ?
was your breathing laboured from the humidity ?

arctic ice sheets are melting.
oceans are rising.
do you not notice the devasting effects
of global warming ???
or
are you shopping for new shoes today ?

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