“Rain” by Elizabeth Kirby ‘22

​rain at night
and rain during the day
are different
when it rains during the day,
the world is shushed and the day does not go on
for the gloom and gray
of the day
takes over
and nothing gets done
and nothing moves on
the world just stops in its tracks
and waits
and waits
and waits
i’ve longed for years to find out
what it longs for
what makes the world bow to rain
and stop its orbit to pause and reflect
and cry
rain during the day is dreary and boring
long and endless
like cold gray clay
too soggy to form
lifeless
and
cold
when it rains at night
it feels magical
like the air is waiting for something to happen
the air hangs with suspense
to be electrified
to light up
to sparkle
to dazzle
to become something unseen
to terrify
to delight
to scare
it all hangs there
like excitement backstage before a play
it's like holding your breath underwater

and feeling alive
the darkness all around you as you sit on your bed
staring out the window
and the majestic pitch black sky
rain dripping on my roof
pattering on my drain spout
and sprinkling through the tree leaves
creates a consistent drumming
a steady beat
to rely on
then flash! lightning crashes
ba-ba-BOOM thunder rolls
through the clouds to my window pane
the sky lit up in blues
and purple hues
and the darkness returning soon after
and you sit there
safe and at peace
peace in the storm around you
surrounded by chaos and not one thing hurts you
i love it
it fills my head
i love this feeling
nothing can hurt me when i’m inside and safe
and so i can see the beauty and terror around me and not get
hurt
and so i breathe deep
d
e
e
p
l
y
and i shut my eyes
listening to the rain
and being sung to sleep
by the sorceress of the night
and having dreams spun for me
by the weaver in the dark