Esoteric Bowl

The summer heat wakes me from my sleep.
My neck and pillow are locked in a wet kiss.
I turn the pillow over and hope
that the cool side is cool;
It’s not.

I look over my shoulder towards the clock.
One-thirty in the morning.
I sigh and close my eyes,
pushing the blanket further away with hands and feet.

I roll over and look at the clock again.
Three-forty. What happened to the past two hours?
I hate when that happens.

I slide out of bed and walk in the dark,
ignoring every lamp and light switch.
A 100 watt bulb would feel like the sun.

My feet find relief on the kitchen floor.
From one ceramic tile to the next
in search of a cooler square,
I crisscross the darkened room
as if I’m playing tic-tac-toe with myself.

I open the refrigerator and freezer doors anticipating a chill.
It’s not as cool as I had hoped.
Gently I squeeze a bag of frozen vegetables
just to make sure the freezer is working.

I pour guava nectar into a glass.
The juice is chilled,
and I gulp without tasting.
The juice splashes inside my chest
and irrigates the desert within.