kitchen

outside
the air bakes and rises
like buttered bread
melting down one side of the afternoon

steam
the quick fate
of any puny drop of water
daring to show itself
to the hard-hitting heat of the day

wind
shakes her apron
dusting off the crumbs
of crispy burnt leaves
from the lap of a well-done land

blue
is the skillet
of a cloudless hot sky
and the sun sizzles
and slides slowly off the griddle

if you can't take the heat
get out of Texas