I wake to the drought breaking,
the muted percussion of rain—
steady, no wind—as though
it had never deserted us
the way love can desert a marriage.
I’d be at the sink washing vegetables
when he came in. He’d glance my way,
go to change clothes. Parched land,
wildfire, ashes.
I turn to the man who loves me now,
touch his chest, whisper, “Listen.”
He opens his eyes, and we lie silent.
Then he reaches for my hand.
“I think, today, I love you equally,”
he says. I nod. “Me too.”
– Sarah Russell
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
Sarah Russell Poetry 
This is so evocative–loved this Sarah!
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Thanks, Audrey. And thanks for the “follow” too!
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so many kinds of silences.. those that destroy..those that heal… wonderful life images here.
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Thank you, Rajani.
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What a fantastic write – the drought, the parched end of a marriage, the rain, the present equal love. Sigh. Perfection. Lovely to see you at Poets United. I look forward to reading more of your work.
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Thank you so much, Sherry!
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This is fantastic…..the use of seasons in reference to marriage and new love and that interplay. Drought and rain, for sure. Gorgeous writing.
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Thank you, C.C. One of my childhood friends was C.C.– Catherine Cora. I’ve always loved the nickname.
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“the muted percussion of rain—” Yet its music is heard at the end. This is a most beautiful write Sara. Love the play of contrast all through.
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Thanks,Sumana. It was a great prompt!
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I love the sense of story and narrative here – a superb poem
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Thanks, Jae. I loved the prompt, and this seemed like it would be a good fit.
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“Parched land, wildfire, ashes”, what a line to describle a breaking marriage. Loving each other equally is always the answer. How beautifully your poem fits the prompt.
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Thank you so much. I think someone has to be in that kind of marriage to understand that parched feeling.
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“the muted percussion of rain” epic and I love the transformation from the end of marriage to equal love Beautiful poem
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“the muted percussion of rain” epic and the transformation from the end of marriage to equal love Beautiful
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Thanks, Marja.
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My goodness this is good!❤️ Especially the last stanza left me absolutely breathless.. sigh.. Beautifully penned!❤️
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A happy ending — and mending. Thanks, Sanaa.
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Tenderness is the description, a love poem.
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Thank you, Annell.
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Such healing is soooo needed, the rain as if it had never left and someone to love equally. Beautiful reflection. May the rain be consistent and end the drought.
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Thanks a lot, Susan.
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drought, rain and are lives…so nicely written…subtle…loved it!
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#not are, our
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Thanks, Sreeja. Don’t you hate when that happens and you can’t do anything about it? It’s bad enough when it’s my fault, but sometimes autocorrect joins in and I mangle someone’s name. Arrrgh!
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Beautiful, vivid, and tender.
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Thank you, Barry.
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