I remember it so vividly
sunbathing in my garden
during the school holidays
before going up to university
chock-full of hopes and dreams!
Forty-two years hence
we have another such
one even hotter they say
which makes me reflect
on the vast abyss of time
between these two summers
that span my adult years.
Now, I wear a hat outside
to stave off this modern sun
which with our knowledge
of climate change and UV rays
is more dangerous these days
no longer the friend it was before.
Reminiscing about that season
of golden youth whose dreams
have never quite been fulfilled
this sun that beats down upon me
seems to burn up my very soul.