ON WHAT: An Ode to June

Jacob Lawrence, Summer Street Scene in Harlem (1948)

When I was in college my ex used to say, "on what" in response to almost everything. I guess you can add that to the ever growing list of midwestern colloquialisms...Black midwestern colloquialisms. It annoyed me as a DC girl that it was used so much in conversation. The more I think about it though, its very similar to our "aight moe," "you loafin'/lunchin', or "you gassin'." In layman's terms it simply means "really," "wow," "oh-em-gee," or "you're lying/playing." It all depends on the inflection or lack there of in the speakers voice.

As I wrap up June, my birth month, the end of the school year, start of summer break, and only about 7 more months till 2020 I find myself thinking: "ON WHAT!" My inflection varies too depending on which part of the month or occurrences during the month that I'm talking about.

June: surprises in heat/
kids running free/ 

corner store/jumbo popsicle and seeds/

big gold hoops/

halter tops/

pedicured feet/

say goodbye to spring's flings/

and hello to summer’s crazy nights/

cookouts/ pool parties/block parties

walks on the beach/

watching the rays of the sun

reach their peak/

daylight actually saves time/time to relax/

time to sweat/time to turn the AC on/time to reset/

less clothes/less constraint/

jazz in the park/movies after dark/

top down/music loud/

fahrenheit/riding on the back of your boo's bike/

corn rows/nice and neat/ brothers yellin’ “aye bay bay”

from their tinted Impala windows/

leaned back seat

June: gemini/

wishes/kisses/

watermelon cocktails/

getaways/runaways

freedom/full bloom

happiness/memories/

so much love/

ON WHAT June/leaving so soon?/ 

don't go/ 
please/

only you can mend the friction between earth

and moon