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The unexpected pounce
of heat against my face.
The evening sun,
not even close to setting,
blazes off the water.
A regatta at Café Regatta
cutting like trim scissors
into the silk blue sea,
flashes of white at their bows.
Warm Spanish laughter
on a breeze just cool enough
to remind this is the Baltic.
May still warrants a fire,
if only for makkara.
The chant of the rowers ‘vet-ooo’
sparks from the waves
before their flags hail into sight.
Oars up as they berth,
a salute to the next crew slipping out.
I am burning to remain
wrapped in this indulgence,
but unshared words
bubble up,
even from this moment,
pushing me on.
The walk back toasts
the other cheek.
Gerry Stewart is a poet, creative writing tutor and editor based in Finland. Her poetry collection Post-Holiday Blues was published by Flambard Press, UK. Totems is to be published by Hedgehog Poetry Press in 2022. Her writing blog can be found at http://thistlewren.blogspot.fi/ and @grimalkingerry on Twitter.