As Dostoevsky and the Karamazov have been lying
on my belly for the past half hour I am musing
on a chocolate cake, soft sponge, creamy frosting
dark cold icing, my mouth watering in anticipation
my mind perusing the kitchen, redacting the inventory
of available ingredients, eggs, milk and butter in the fridge,
check! self-raising flour, baking soda and brown sugar
in the pantry, check! yet motionless I rest, my being
Eos evidently does not grant me Helios’ favour, so I lie
on my sofa vanquished by heat, even my Alice
in Wonderland cushions sweat, the one at my feet
claims forever lasts a second, sometimes, though
my tired apathetic perception begs to differ,
obfuscated by humidity it suggests, each second
of this Valencian summer is an eternity spent
locked-up in a not so cleansing Turkish bath
where dizziness conquers intentions and respite,
notwithstanding its vigour, is only just barely provided
by my grandfather’s 1970s immortal Toshiba fan,
(oh! the good old times when things were built to last
indeed forever and not solely in Wonderland!)
and though it tries its best despite itself it blows
sirocco winds shackling me to entranced immobility
binge-watching Eureka gulping Tinto de Verano in a glass
filled with diamond ice cubes and a lemon wedge
my esurient mind using the last drop of me to attempt
to convince my body to stand up and light the oven,
my body refusing the command unwilling to suffer deflects,
roguishly negotiates, promising that if I keep seated
it will grant me enough energy to write … a poem.

[Featured painting: Chocolate Swirl by A. J. LaGasse]

IF YOU ARE SUFFERING HEAT STRESS Do read New York Times article, “Heat waves take a toll on mental health” YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/19/well/mind/heat-mental-health.html