"One Hot Day"- from The Ruby of the Universe - Dan Lukiv his poem is from The Ruby of the Universe. The title is taken from a line in the final poem, and all of them explore themes related to war. click here to read the others. One Hot Day A girl More than watches Buzzing hornets and bees Darting like heat-seeking Missles, flashing inside a Plume of apple                   blossoms. And In the hot breeze a petal-- A flesh-eating arm-- Falls, Twirling through a whorled-- Reluctant?--dive, Glinting, a snowflake with What sort of                 character? And then more petals abandon Their stronghold:                       paratroopers Lost in Europe. A dragonfly Lands like a Spitfire, And a blue jay deftly searches For ants on a limb. The buzz is music, An ominous roar Above her ears and Swimsuit. She shivers. She loves the music and The pink (Her bedroom is pink), But now, in a moment as long As a sigh, she feels Alone,        peculiar, As if abandoned in a Wasteland. Then: Quick as a startled deer, Or soldier, She finds shelter, Swimming like a white fish In her small pool. Dan Lukiv is a writer, educator, and frequent contributor to canadian content. comments about this article? give us feedback