Blackjack & Bottle Rockets

i needed to get away from the city
it continues to be too much for me

i am blessed with a great living situation
and a great career
but I just seem to lose my mind
after a year or so

i have gotten to the point where I accept this
and admit to it a year in advance

I told my current employer
that if they really wanted me back
then they must know
that I would take at least a month off
in the warmer months

I still have the job, so
I decided to split the month in half
half now at the beginning of July
half at the end of August

So I tied up all of my loose ends in the city
and got on my bicycle
against the wind (21 mph)
against the heat (83 degrees Fahrenheit)

I made it to The Orchard House
25 miles in 2 hours

I played cards with my mother
I worked outdoors
in the sunshine

I shaved my head and face
for the first time in many months
I look like a new man.

I cooked and baked
for our celebration of independence
from Great Britain
and of dependence
on our corrupt governmental systems

The evening of the 4th ended
around a campfire
surrounded by white christmas lights
the sound of explosions all around

I kept lighting off too many bottle rockets
all at once\

We watched the fireflies
light up the backyard
as the sun set
over the apple trees