The air grew heavy

It was hard to breathe

The strongest man

Was brought to his knees

The machinery wailed

While doing their jobs

The children sweated

While the old women sobbed

The thermometer rose

Threatening to burst

Ice cubes melted

Before they quenched our thirst

We waited all day for

The sun to set

For the cool of the night

To dry up our sweat

Still, the heat persisted

All night ‘til dawn

As the sun rose

The heatwave sizzled on