The song, released in 1978 by Earth, Wind & Fire, is a joyful remembrance of a love that budded during the titular month, “changin’ the minds of pretenders / while chasin’ the clouds away.”

Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember?
Ba-dee-ya, dancin' in September
Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day

This year, however, things were not so joyful. September was the fourth month in a row of record-warm global temperatures and the warmest September on record, unleashing extreme weather events across the globe. Has 21st-century budding love lost its power? Can it still chase the clouds (and perhaps the heat) away?

A YEARs-LONG CREATIVE EXPLORATION OF THE CLIMATE THROUGH 100-WORD STORIES • WEEK 35