And Then It Rained

Clouds laced with anger and bits of RNA
light green on dark gray on khaki 
with red splatterings
wind whipped banners
broken glass
dangerous seeds in the wind

And then it rained
it rained hard all day 
it could rain tomorrow, too
infectious particles
carried to ground
into rivers and seas
into our being

Do we stay inside
dry and warm
and watch our foundations erode
our connecting tissues degrade
or do we step into boots and slickers
grab our tools
and get to work filling 
community sandbags
staunching the flow
rebuilding toward the light
on the far horizon

Marv Himmel©
February 3, 2021

5 thoughts on “And Then It Rained”

  1. It took me longer than usual to figure out my reaction to this poem, but the more I reread it, the more I like it. I’d like to hear about your inspiration for it, if you ever care to share that. Thanks for all your poetry!

    1. This piece represents my struggle with this winter, the pandemic and the assault on the Capitol in Washington. Somehow they all came together. I wrote it shortly after watching the assault roll out. It represents my struggle with optimism, anger, and my reluctance to engage. Thanks for your support.

      1. I thought that might be what was going on; there was definitely a different tone in this work. You’re certainly not alone in your struggle; few of us have remained the same in the face of our current realities. And few have the gift, as you have, of being able to write about it with grace. Thanks again!

  2. Your poem makes me want to believe in the human spirit; to believe in my own spirit. It makes me want to believe that doing the hard work of the right thing, staying true to the gifts of compassion, community, integrity, and morality will ultimately grow something exquisite, even from the toxic mud that sucks desperately on our feet in its petulant attempt to root us in disharmony . It really makes me want to believe.

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