front porch ice tea

between tall tales

about the war

and other things,

she talked a lot about

her iced tea

how she left the glass jar

on her wide

porch in the summer

for hours,

the cut lemons

floating about like exotic fish.

it was sweet and cold after

pouring it over

crushed ice.

we'd sit with her on the swings,

back and forth

until the shade came

and the sky turned into

a violet sea,

and she said, we'll boys,

your mothers are wondering

where you are,

and it's time for me

to go inside, time for me

to go to sleep.