East Wind, Rain

The wind came from the east

that day, and rain

rain like pellets fired

from an air rifle, hard, stinging

my face, little wet shrapnel,

wrapping me in a swaddling

of rain, a cocoon of stones

showered with thunder above

and below

a killing rain, with its smell

of metal, and lightning

bleeding rain, sweat, bloody

sweat tears, and rain

neon rain edged in silver

and gold, falling and rising

like prayers

For the month of August, TweetSpeak Poetry has a rain project – a found poem theme of rain that uses book spines as the prompt. (See “August Rain: The Decisive Moment” by Seth Haines, published Mondat at TweetSpeak Poetry, for more details.)

The poem above is taken from the titles of the following books: East Wind, Rain by J. Richard Nash; Killing Rain by Barry Eisler; Neon Rain by James Lee Burke; Thunder and Rain by Charles Martin; The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard; Prayers for Rain by Dennis Lehane; Rain of Gold by Victor Villasenor; Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin; and Night of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy.

This poem is also submitted for Open Link Night at dVerse Poets. The links will be live at 2 p.m. Central time today.

Photograph: Rain by Jiri Hodan via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.