Lightning flickered on the horizon that night–
an omen as we sat in the musty dark
with nothing more to say
after a decade of talking with,
then at each other. We waited
for the downpour, longed for
its cleansing after years of drought.
-Sarah Russell
Photo by Lisa Plymell
For the quadrille challenge at dVerse with the prompt “flicker.”
Sarah Russell Poetry 
Love how the weight of the impending storm conveys the weight of the troubled relationship and how one might welcome the storm after years of such oppression.
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Thanks, Nosaint. Yes, the longing for an honest fight after avoidance.
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The implications are so alive in this setting!
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Thanks a lot, Kathy.
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Heavy sadness in this, much like the oppressiveness of an approaching storm. Powerful write.
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Thanks, Victoria.
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I liked the description of the transition through a decade of talking with and then at someone else.
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Happens that way sometimes, it seems. Thanks, Frank.
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A good omen, surely ~ Love this part:
We waited
for the downpour, longed for
its cleansing after years of drought.
Thank you for being part of our community Sarah ~
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Aw thanks, Grace! Sometimes it takes me awhile sometimes before I come up with an idea, but I love the push to produce almost daily, even when I’m busy. I read a good article on writing the other day that said the reason to write every day is to keep aware of poetry in our lives — that it keeps our instincts sharp. I liked that. Glad to be part of such a welcoming group.
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‘the musty dark’ definitely promises downpours to wash away the dross piled up for a long time. The moment of lull is scary, though 🙂
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Yes, the “lull” is always awkward, isn’t it, even if it’s a very long term relationship. Thanks for reading, Sumana.
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Very clever use of metaphor, Sarah. Love it. And that photo is stunning 🙂
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Thanks, Ryan.
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Powerful pen Sarah. Those fights are part of the landscape in long term couplings.
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Indeed they are. I love what Sumana said about the tension in the “lull” before the storm. When I rewrite, I want to get that in there.
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That lull before the storm is already there in the space between your words – it conveys it so beautifully that I would not change a thing ☺💜 xxx
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Thanks for that, Xenia. (I just really like the word “lull” I think, and Sumana reminded me of it.). Love the adventures of your Whippets!
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This reminds me of sitting on the front porch watching the summer showers when we were kids.
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We played marathon games of monopoly on the porch those afternoons.
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This is soo beautiful!❤️
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Thanks a lot, Sanaa.
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