the air wraps itself
around us like heavy wool
and the earth cracks open
begging for a drop of mercy
Dana stands in her boots
beneath a sky that aches
yet refuses to cry
her hands full of kindness
big fans hum louder
than the cicadas’ hot song
and small pools mirror the sun
while the animals linger near
the goats shake the heat off
with each slow step of defiance
the chickens hide under shade
but dream of cooler days
pigs press their bellies into mud
their eyes half-closed in relief
while Dana moves between them all
a caretaker in the furnace of summer
the heat beats relentlessly
but her love rises stronger
cradling the barnyard’s pulse
one fan, one pool, one touch at a time