Hail, Afternoon!

Hail, Afternoon!
Rondeau
dgw
6-16-13

Hail afternoon, the day's spittoon!
You hole up in the hot saloon,
Receiving, spat, brown, and sour,
The spent juice of every hour,
As buoyant as a burst balloon

Or trash bag torn by mad raccoon.
Sweaty equatorial June,
Where e'en lovers frowning glower,
Hail, afternoon!

Flowers show tendency to swoon
When thus bound, like Laocoon,
In your seething, sordid bower.
"Oh, where is my cooling shower
or fragrant moon?" they often croon.
Hail, afternoon!