Afternoon, mid-August
Two cicadas singing                                 Two cicadas singing
                                                                                        Air kiln-hot, lead-heavy
Five cicadas humming                           Five cicadas humming
Thunderheads northwestward
Twelve cicadas buzzing                        Twelve cicadas buzzing
                                                                                         Up and down the street
the mighty choir's                                       the mighty choir's
assembling                                                         assembling
Shrill cica-
das                                                                               Ci-
                                                                                         cadas
                                                                                         droning
                                                                                          in the elms
Three years                                    Three years
spent underground
                                                                                          among the roots
in darkness                                                          in darkness
Now they're breaking ground
                                                                                          and climbing up 
                                                                                          the tree trunks
splitting skins 
and singing                                                           and singing
                                                                                          Jubilant 
rejoicing                                                                 cicadas
                                                                                          pouring out their
fervent praise                                                   fervent praise
                                                                                          for heat and light 
their hymn                                                            their hymn
sung to the sun
Cicadas                                                                   Cicadas
                                                                                         whining
whin-
ing                                                                                ci-
                                                                                          cadas
                                                                                         pulsing
pulsing
chanting from the treetops.           chanting from the treetops
sending
forth their                                                          sending
booming                                                              forth their
boisterous                                                         booming
joyful noise!                                                      joyful noise!