Winding down my final days before going back to school…. sitting on my front porch, knitting and listen to thunder, I am reminded of one of my favorite “summer poems” from James Stevenson’s great little gem of a book called Sweet Corn
SUMMER STORM
WHEN THE THUNDERSTORM COMES
PUNCHING ITS WAY THROUGH TOWN,
THE DOG STICKS HER NOSE UNDER THE SOFA.
ALL OF US FLINCH AS THE LIGHTENING HITS,
REVEALED AS CRINGING COWARDS IN THE FLASH.
RAIN HURLS ITSELF INTO THE STREET.
THE OLD HOUSE TREMBLES.
BUT EVERYBODY KNOWS
WHEN THIS LETS UP AND THE SKY TURNS BLUE,
WE’LL THROW OUR SNEAKERS OFF AND RACE
TO MUDDY PUDDLES DEEP AND WARM
AND KICK THE WATER BACK INTO THE SKY.
James Stevenson
Enjoy!
August 7, 2014 at 7:27 pm
My favorite summer thunderstorm memories are playing in the “rivers” in the gutters after the storm passed~
August 8, 2014 at 7:55 am
Kicking the water back to the sky… I love that! I have a poem titled “Summer Storm” that appears in The Poetry Friday Anthology K-5 edition, so I am especially interested in this poem. A million ways to approach a subject, isn’t there? Welcome to Poetry Friday!!
August 8, 2014 at 8:34 am
This is lovely. I especially love the energy and nostalgia of the last line. Thanks so much for sharing!
August 8, 2014 at 12:24 pm
I like this poem!
August 8, 2014 at 2:08 pm
Maureen,
As I am writing this comment, I am listening to the Simon & Garfunkel music you posted on Twitter. Perfect compliment for getting me into the mood of reading poetry. I never read James Stevenson’s Summer Storm poem. It seems that it is fitting you posted it here since summer storms are all over the weather reports now.
August 8, 2014 at 2:38 pm
Thanks, Carol!I love the song and the poem. Glad you enjoyed both!
August 8, 2014 at 7:57 pm
Summer storms are the best. Since coming to Tucson I’ve come to embrace the summer monsoon. Great poem for recent weather. = )
August 8, 2014 at 8:05 pm
Thanks, Bridget!
August 8, 2014 at 10:21 pm
What a wonderful poem! I love the lines “punching its way through town” and “all of us flinch as the lightning hits / revealed as cringing cowards in the flash.” We don’t often get those kinds of storms here on Canada’s west coast, but where I just holidayed, they were plentiful and wild.
August 9, 2014 at 6:21 am
Thank you, Violet! I love those lines, too! Glad you enjoyed the poem.
August 9, 2014 at 7:51 am
I particularly like the lines Violet mentions, and the ending. Stevenson is so effective at capturing emotion.
August 9, 2014 at 9:41 am
What a lovely poem! We’ve had lots of these deluge storms in the Northeast this summer. I can identify with all the details in this poem and love the end line with the sentiment of “back at cha!”
August 10, 2014 at 5:16 am
Oh this is lovely. I love listening to the sound of rain while I’m indoors. Gives me a sense of peace. Thank you for sharing this poem this week.
August 11, 2014 at 11:16 am
I have many fond memories of rain and after rain. I love the image of kicking it back into the sky.