The man who reads the skies
says today will feel like 105—
never mind the thermometers,
conspiring and lying at 96.
Who decides what it will feel like
and what kind of scale do they use?
Is there a finger licked and
thrust up into the wind
or do they poll sweaty people
melting down the city streets?
Is there a wise thermometer
somewhere high on a hill
scribbling on stone tablets
how the day should feel?
A barometer Buddha
a meteorologist mystic
in service of reminding us
you’re allowed to feel
how you feel
regardless of what you think
you know.
What makes a day
simply feel like 105—
and if it does,
why can’t we just say
today is 105?
Is it the wind, humidity,
or mood of the day?
Is it about reality,
or just what people say?
Some mornings,
the girl in the mirror
feels whole and complete—
a true, fully counted
sum of her parts.
The head and the heart in agreement—
believing what they feel,
feeling what they believe.
Other days— less certain.
The feelings and knowings
don’t quite agree—
at least to my biased
and unprofessional eye.
Science and emotions
often cast as opposites—
but, oh, how they’ve learned
to dance and sway.
These meticulous plans for a life well-lived—
make sure you get to the finish line
free from a drop of regret.
A scientific method approach
an objective analysis
desperately working to avoid
professional paralysis.
Climbing slick ladders
investing in futures
and other people’s approval.
Trading your time for something
you’re not even sure you want.
Anticipating, planning, plotting—
inspecting every dusty
corner of your life
until the day
you die.
But what will matter in the end—
the only thing that matters
at the close of the day—
is simply how it felt
along the way.
Written and inspired by this current East Coast heat wave that is threatening to melt us all into a big, steaming pot of fondue.
The Other Courtney 
I know it’s not what this was really about, but if you’ll indulge me in some poindexter-ness, the feels-like temperature is based off the regular temperature with dew point (not raw humidity) added.
What many people forget though is that both are measured in the shade. Somehow in 2025 there still isn’t an official measurement for in the sun temperatures, so it’s impossible to know for sure. It’s guessed that the sun’s radiation adds 10-15 degrees on average.
I talked with an online friend once and we were guessing what the hottest it ever truly gets in civilization is probably, and we came to the conclusion that Bahrain probably has had days where it was over 130° feels like in the sun. As it turns out, there was a day there where it actually reached 144° OFFICIALLY (in the shade). Humans get scalding injuries from seconds of exposure to temperatures above 140° and their blood literally starts to bubble apparently.
Oh, and loved the post, lol. It’s so easy to become obsessed with making things a zero sum game and thinking that everything is meaningless if you don’t get what you want, and it ends up in regret because you end up missing the things that actually matter. I hope one day I learn that lesson enough for it to stick.
Jake
Jake, this was so fun to read and interesting! Thanks for your comment. This is fascinating– “Somehow in 2025 there still isn’t an official measurement for in the sun temperatures, so it’s impossible to know for sure. It’s guessed that the sun’s radiation adds 10-15 degrees on average.”