Rain
A Poem by Susan E. Wagner
Arms outstretched to catch the living
Water, that falls so gently, gathering
Flora pollens to distribute where needed –
It is sufficient for now, a promise to leaves,
To plant-roots and trees, a warning to the
Little critters, those chipmunks that race
Across the grass, throwing themselves down
Hidey-holes. The birds take the warning to
Heart. They fly back and forth to the feeder
For its sunflower seeds or the earth for its bugs,
Snug and full in their nests by the time thunder
Arrives.
My arms are still there, stretching to capture
This wild water, this bit of uncontrollable life,
This living grace that slides into my parched
Soul as easily as it slides down to roots.
There I am, for one moment, a part of creation
That knows its place and revels in its glory.
Susan Wagner is the author of Unmuted: Voices on the Edge, a collection of hybrid poetry on mental illness and families. She has taught professional and creative writing and is an editor with The Pearl S. Buck Writing Center. She will graduate with an MFA in Creative Writing in May 2021. Her poem, “The ER” was recently selected for Unique Minds: Creative Voices at Princeton University.
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