Holy Lemon You

by Hugh McMillan 

The river is fast after rain
but the sun is hanging out
as if it’s June.
Break open a bottle
 
of shine while the nymphs
and selkies washed here
waft in pools, stones
glittering in their teeth.
 
Cast our backpacks
with their breaded fish
and beetroot aside
and dance on the brink:
 
the peewits will be
amazed at our insouciance.
Spread me your jewels
unconquerable sun,
 
infuse these grass tips,
warm up this pen,
the summer we write
will be full of poems:
 
this is what we live for,
this palm of moment,
reaching out to squeeze
like a fruit, holy lemon you.

​Hugh McMillan is a Scottish poet.  In 2017 he was writer in residence at the Harvard Summer School. He currently curates #plagueopoems, poems filmed from lockdown. https://pestilencepoems.blogspot.com/ In 2020 he was chosen by the Scottish Poetry Library as one of 4 ‘Poetry Champions’ for Scotland. His website is at https://www.hughmcmillanwriter.co.uk/