Hello Friends,
Poetry and rain have a long history together. Perhaps it's the rhythm of rain, or the lines, or the gray area. It's hard to pick just one rain poem to send you this rainy April day — but I decided to go with one that is both a rain poem and a praise poem, by the great Mvskoke poet Joy Harjo from her most recent collection Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings (2015).
Enjoy.
Ellen
Praise the rain; the seagull dive
The curl of plant, the raven talk—
Praise the hurt, the house slack
The stand of trees, the dignity—
Praise the dark, the moon cradle
The sky fall, the bear sleep—
Praise the mist, the warrior name
The earth eclipse, the fired leap—
Praise the backwards, upward sky
The baby cry, the spirit food—
Praise canoe, the fish rush
The hole for frog, the upside-down—
Praise the day, the cloud cup
The mind flat, forget it all—
Praise crazy. Praise sad.
Praise the path on which we're led.
Praise the roads on earth and water.
Praise the eater and the eaten.
Praise beginnings; praise the end.
Praise the song and praise the singer.
Praise the rain; it brings more rain.
Praise the rain; it brings more rain.
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Joy Harjo was also featured for Meet Me in 811's Poem-A-Day April 30, 2017 and Poem-A-Day April 22, 2015.