Chapter 6: A Sacred Summer

Summer.
Such a sacred word.
As for the first time in forever,
you really mean what you say
when you use it.

Full of promises.
It feels like the whole city is out on the streets –
flip flops, blowing skirts,
the lads playing basketball in the front yard,
topless, as if they’ve never done anything else.

The streets weren’t made for this kind of heat,
melting into a thousand little lakes.
Kids write their names
into the black puddles with a stick.

It’s a Wednesday evening, 9 PM.
People sit by the canal, drinking beer.
The Gardi don’t mind this year,
there are no laws down at the canal.
At least not this sacred summer.
As long as people stay peaceful.

It’s just a normal weekday,
but right now, every day feels like a festival.
But we all know that this sacred summer,
that these beautiful moments are already fading
as we are living them.

You hear glasses clinking,
cold drinks and voices filled with joy.
The coast is just a few miles away,
and now and then, a cool ocean breeze
reminds you that you’re still
on the Emerald Isle – not in Spain.

Chairs on the street, naked feet.
The heavy scent of sunscreen.
It takes forever for the sun
to finally disappear for the night.
The days are long, longer than you’ve ever seen before.

You hear the bass pulsing from the clubs.
You’re dancing, your mouth is dry.
The air is thick, filled with promises
born from sun-infused daydreams.

As the people walk through the same old city,
the same old streets,
they feel a newfound love for it.
It makes them so happy.

And oh boy, they can’t wait for these
summer nights.
You need some fresh air.
You leave the club to cool down
but for the first time ever,
it’s even hotter outside than it is inside.

Careless laughter.
Everywhere.
Somewhere.
Anywhere.

And they all know:
Tomorrow, the sun
will once again paint the facades
of their dirty old town again
with a coat of golden shimmer,
covering the urban decay.

It seems like this summer
takes their worries away –
just for a moment, just for a day.
Your friends are waiting
down at the canal.