Things I Can Name but Can Not Describe

The sweet echos of banjos and fiddles riding on the summer air 

The piercing chill of cold mountain stream water on your feet

The noise of a dog’s heavy panting after a long hike

The stickiness of fresh smores on your tongue 

The pops of a bonfire symphony filling your ears

The stillness of a summer midnight

The throbbing of your feet in your hiking boots (specifically between the bottom of the trail and your car)

The relentless drone of bugs that like fly into your ear 

The crunch of your sunburnt skin (you never have enough sunscreen)

The faux silence of the clouds running across the midday sky

The quiet beauty of the butterfly that flutters in front of your face

The dream-like way the flowers bob in the breeze

The pungent smell of mountain air 

But here’s the thing about everything above my Colorado summers claim

If you’ve ever experienced them, I don’t need to explain them, all they need is a name

And once you do experience them, you’ll never be the same