The impeded stream is the one that sings.” Wendell Berry
Rain in the Forecast
Come on first autumn rainfall
stun the leaves, knock free the dust
soften the oak’s dry fingers.
Bring it on rain, bring it bold
bring it misty, hail-hardened
bring it loud and thundering.
Come dampen the raging fires
within our parched, thirsty hearts
and our burning landscapes.
We blow through this world like storms,
traveling our own rivers,
we who are made from water.
Come on first autumn rainfall
teach us to blow through the dams,
how to move when impeded.
Poem by Melissa Madenski
Melissa Madenski lived for 40 years at the edge of the temperate rainforest of the Oregon coast. Currently, she lives in Portland, Oregon. Her chapbook, Endurance, was published in 2015 by Finishing Line Press.