HOT!!!

Too hot to think.
So hot I thought the roof might blow off Hope House when I opened the Monday morning door.
So hot I thought the LRT tunnels would be cool.
But it has been hot too long for that.

Endlessly hot.
It started to swelter on Thursday, been sweltering ever since.

Remembering other hots.
Midnight in Chicago, 100F.
Strolling in the packed streets, sweat trickling down my back.

Tropical perspective.
Susan visits the Taj Mahal before 9:00 AM while the temperature remains below 40C.
David wears shorts in the Philippines and sleeps alone with air conditioning while the locals sleep eight in a hot room and spend their days in suits and ties.
Ruth wears a sweater at 5:30 AM in Thailand as she rides her bike to work. It is only 24C this early.

Coping with hot.
Wiping up the puddle of sweat where the Marguerita glass stood on the table.
The bathtub is a swimming pool, standing cold water, waiting for occasional dipping.
A bucket of ice sits behind the fan, cooling the air that blows across our bodies all night long.
Leaving bed in a thunderstorm to open all the doors and lower windows.
Guarding the house that stands open and vulnerable, listening to night sounds, petting the dog, willing a breeze to blow.

Visiting Nana.
In her air conditioned room
In the hospital where she is tied to oxygen
And has been for ages
And will be for ages
And hearing her say she’s been told it’s hot
And she’d like to be able to find that out
For herself.
Makes it seem kind of cool
Being hot.