Cerulean Summer
By Kailee Ortiz
If you’ve delved into the addiction of nostalgia these days, you can relate to this recurring poem and its story of two children spending their last summer together.
Cloudless skies of cerulean sheened over our fits of laughter. Our smiling star beamed brightly in the empty sky, giving us a hello. Child laughter and hot metal that smelled of burnt plastic, scalding our sensitive skin. Our garden of Eden, my life-sized snowglobe holding the memories of when we were young. Our smiling star beamed brightly in the empty sky, giving us a hello. In our Eden, the prickly grass smelt of butter popcorn; the giant stones were used as thrones. Our garden of Eden, my life-sized snowglobe, holds the memories of when we were young. Our backs left rosy pink, my toes feeling rough against the flaring summer concrete. In our Eden, the prickly grass smelt of butter popcorn; the giant stones were used as thrones. I miss the days when we screamed to our hearts’ content, and no one thought we were crazy. Our backs left rosy pink, my toes feeling rough against the flaring summer concrete. Because being a kid gave you the privilege to be so-called crazy. I miss the days when we screamed to our hearts’ content, and no one thought we were crazy. Where hot sweat dripped down my back, baby hairs sticking up on my neck. Because being a kid gave you the privilege to be so-called crazy. I was so out of breath my heart felt as if it were about to explode outside its chest. Where hot sweat dripped down my back, baby hairs sticking up on my neck I felt the blood rush through my veins, a fire spreading across my cheeks. I was so out of breath my heart felt as if it were about to explode outside its chest. I felt more alive than I have in the past four years combined. I felt the blood rush through my veins, a fire spreading across my cheeks. No worries about boys or girls or do I like boys and girls. I felt more alive than I have in the past four years combined. No thoughts of being a good student or daughter, but how much longer do I have left with you? No worries about boys or girls or do I like boys and girls. Wonders spinning inside my head, will we chase one another again? No thoughts of being a good student or daughter, but how much longer do I have left with you? My eyes still look for you in the city, my heart waiting to race once again. Wonders spinning inside my head, will we chase one another again? I miss your shadow alongside mine; I wish I never pushed you away like I did. My eyes still look for you in the city, my heart waiting to race once again. Our pinkies intertwined with a kiss at the fist to seal our deal. I miss your shadow alongside mine; I wish I never pushed you away like I did. Scared of the world surrounding me but scared to face you no longer, Our pinkies intertwined with a kiss at the fist to seal our deal. I want to be free of these regrets I’ve made in memory of you. Scared of the world surrounding me but scared to face you no longer, 4,000 miles of space is reason enough to forget about each other. I want to be free of these regrets I’ve made in memory of you It is not my fault we grew so far apart. 4,000 miles of space is reason enough to forget about each other. Yet, I miss the laughter and I miss our thrones, our baby crushes, and dancing on stage with you. It is not my fault we grew so far apart. I miss my grandma's house, near our school; now who begs me to even call and say hello? Yet, I miss the laughter and I miss our thrones, our baby crushes, and dancing on stage with you. I miss when things were so simple, and how my life didn't have to rest on my palms. I miss my grandma's house near our school; now who begs me to even call and say hello? I'm trying to live again, even all alone. I want to live, grow old, and happy without a shard of regret. I miss when things were so simple, and how my life didn't have to rest on my palms. I certainly never want to regret you. I'm trying to live again, even all alone. I want to live, grow old, and happy without a shard of regret. Maybe we can see each other again one day when I am brave enough. I certainly never want to regret you, Or the child laughter and hot metal that smelled of burnt plastic, scalding our sensitive skin. Maybe we can see each other again when I'm brave enough to face you, Where cloudless skies of cerulean sheen over our fits of laughter.
Performance
Process
Being in quarantine for so long, I’ve been given so much time to just reflect on the past and it feels like everyday now I can only live in the past, in that brighter, better world. So this poem is a homage to those recurring memories that have been haunting me and getting my power back. I originally started with two stanzas just dipping my toe into this kind of poem. I wanted to continue, but I truly didn’t understand how I could continue in this pantoum and so I took a break for a few days, until finally it just flowed right through me, writing exactly how I felt as if I were writing a diary entry. I think just getting everything out really helped me trying to format this poem in the long run, being able to practice with the pantoum’s rules until I could finally create the recurring dream effect I was looking for.
Kailee Ortiz
Kailee Ortiz is a young Latina from Brooklyn, currently in her junior year of art high school, where she explores not only her love for music and singing but for poetry and short story writing. She hopes to become more proficient in Spanish so she can better communicate and experience traveling abroad in the near future.
