Popsicles and summer heat

It’s hot. It’s humid.
Cats sleep on shady tiles, outside.
Girls read barefoot under linden trees.




Old people close windows until night,
until a cool breeze begins to blow and stroke,
until a storm breaks the stillness of the day.



They try to keep heat away from their rooms,
they pull down the blinds to scare light and day.
Outside no one walks,
empty squares simply wait
for scented young women
for strong, smelling of sea salt young men
for children and balls running away
for the coolness of  young summer nights.
Inside, unemployed ovens do cry.
Nobody dares to turn them on, to bake bread and cakes.
Mums do get scared if anyone asks
please, make me that pie,
please, make me that cake.
That’s why you should make something else.



Popsicles work.
They’re colourful, cool
They can be fruity,they can be hearty.
They’re always refreshing.
You can make them with anything you want.
Just open the fridge, just go in the orchard.




I’ve found some rapsberries, I’ve found some redcurrant.
I’ve found velvety peaches, I’ve found dark dusty plums
.



Now just be patient.
Peel peaches, wash plums.
Stone both of them, chop in small pieces, plums just in half.
Don’t wash the raspberries, don’t wash the redcurrant.
They’re so small and so soft,
they could easily mash
leaving blood on your thumb.




Cook the raspberries.
Half of them with redcurrants.
In this case add some sugar.
Redcurrants are precious but sharp
pearls for a necklace
worn by proud women.
The other half should be cooked with the plums.
No sugar needed, if the dark dusty jewels are sweet enough.




In the meantime prepare sugar syrup.
Thick, sweet and clear, sugar and water.
Stir over low heat, until crystals dissolve.
Then bring to the boil, watch bubbles going up and away.
Let boil for one minute.
Then put the syrup away.
Let it cool for a while.
Blend it with the peaches.
It will be runny and yellow.
A sweet foamy sauce,
smelling of girls making love in the orchard.



Now add some cream, lightly whipped, white and clean.
Scrape the black out of a vanilla bean.



And mix all together, mix and taste, taste and mix.
It’s delicious, it’s heaven,
smooth and sweet like a child
sleeping quietly, unaware of your pain.



First popsicles ready.
Just pour the liquid, freeze overnight.
Let them rest.




These are refreshing, but velvety, sweet.
They’re good if you’re hungry, thirsty, and asleep.
While they’re freezing, we shouldn’t forget
about all the berries, about those dark plums.
Take the raspberries cooked with redcurrants and sugar.
You shouldn’t have cooked them too long.
Check them cool, wait a bit if they're warm.
Now mix them with some jogurt, white, thick, and tart.
You’ll get a sort of colourful painting.
Let me show you.
Kind of this one.





Yogurt, redcurrant. Sour and tart.
But nourishing too, and refreshing.
Refreshing like streams reflecting the sun.




And finally, now. The last ones.
These are for children hungry and starving
like a wolf in the wood, like poors without guns.
Cook some rice with some milk.
Add sugar, vanilla.
As for a rice pudding, velvety, rich.
Make all the grains soak the white liquid up.
When you’ve done, let it rest.
Now take the mixture of raspberries and plums.
Already cooked, already cool and calm.



And now, you can play.
You can mix all together,
or you can make layers and layers and smile.
Just use a small spoon, press rice,
add quietly your raspberry-plums.





Here you are, here are we.
Summer ready, ready for summer indeed.
You just need popsicles, you just need some ice.
Fresh air and a storm, from time to time.
You can make them quickly, with all what you like.
Just imagine, then try.
Lick them outside,
let them drip on your skin,
clean it with your tongue.





And, by the way, offer them to a boy.
He might become yours,
strong and sea-scented
the only one possible man.





Thanks for inspiring me:

Joy
Nicky
Donna Hay