it's not cool anymore

the puerto ricans
have been lighting fireworks
since
a little before
the first of the month.

tomorrow
will be the fourth of july,
the 7th straight day
of 90 degree plus heat.

someone opened the firehydrant
behind the elementary school
on kedzie,
and now
children wade in gutters.

you try to cut the sky
just to relieve the haze

but the knife melts,
and
nobody thinks any of this
is funny.