Every Summer

Every summer, in our little town
They installed a drinking fountain
On a fire hydrant on the corner
Of Third and Main
Right in front of the Corner Cafe

Every summer, in our little town
The fire hydrants would be given
A fresh coat of yellow paint
Except back ‘76
They painted them red, white & blue

Every summer, in our little town
Valiant efforts were made by children
To begin a lemonade venture
But it was difficult
To sell with slow foot traffic

Every summer, in our little town
The diving board would sound across town
After 1 pm, pause at 5 for an hour
Then resume at 6 until 8
When the lifeguards closed the pool

Every summer, in our little town
We began with big intentions
To conquer the world and do so much
But by August the clock was ticking
And we’d dread the coming first day of school

​Every summer, in our little town
We rode our bikes alone or in packs
And perfected the art of the wheelie
And skidding a long black mark
Like a signature on our art of summer.