Alan Ilagan

Everything looks different after a day in the pool. The chlorine haze, the sun-drained hues, the squinty shade – there are unseen sirens here, waiting to pull you under, and they will leave you breathless at the water’s edge.

The kiss of the sun – intoxicating, enticing, and just a little bit dangerous. Men have fallen to far less worthy temptations. The alchemy of water and light, playing upon the skin, is blinding beauty.

It is time to come out of the pool.

Sometimes you’ve got to go from plaid to pink.

He rises early in the summer, with the sun.

He skims the surface of the pool with his net, catching the bugs and the pine needles, until it is clear.

It would be cruel to call him lazy. Let’s just say he is less than ambitious. That’s okay – the summer is no time for ambition.

Back in the Summer…