Daria Doering

AIR CONDITIONING

Cold relief on a sweltering day
Drives the heat-sogged blues away
Clears my head so I can see
Restores my old vitality

Sitting in my running car
Feeling that artificially cold air
Pour onto me through the vents
Always feels like a small miracle

Its importance is such
That I leave the car running while I wait
Despite the exorbitant price of gas!
Long ago we had it installed in our truck at great cost.

Many interesting experiences
Of going to a place
Just because it was air conditioned.
The library, a restaurant, a store.

And where did they ever
Come up with that name:
“Air conditioned”?
how weird is that?

Why not a cool trademarked name
Such as “Arctic Air”
Or “Cool Control”?
Or “Flash Freeze”?

We are all basically like lizards;
The external temperature affects us so much.
We’re also relative paupers
Our only air conditioning is in our cars.

Air conditioning takes a lot of energy.
Therefore it’s a luxury of a funny sort.
Not a fancy “thing” but an air temperature!
A sensual indulgence.

Air conditioning on a hot day
Is as soothing and comforting
As a hot bath on a frigid one.
You can’t get much more basic than that.