Today the Rain

Today the rain is my companion,
the rain and a volume of Keats
from a second-hand bookstore,
my poet who undertook every sorrow we know,
and whispered to it with heaven’s breath.

With every word and every raindrop—
that falls so softly, it beads on the surface of the water
before breaking and joining its companions—
I can feel myself pressing against the sky,
heart stretching across the open space,
filling the parsecs to the stars,
hoping that in sweet rest,
my poet has reunited with his Bright Star
and remains somewhere in the expanse
to whisper heaven into my grief.

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anyone lived in a pretty how town

This is one of the first poems I remember reading out loud. At the time, I didn’t know much about ee cummings. I did discover, however, that reading him aloud, without any practice can be quite challenging, despite how intuitively he deals with syntax. I like to think I rose to that challenge in Mrs. Pederson’s 11th grade English class. 

anyone lived in a pretty how town
by ee cummings

anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn’t he danced his did

Women and men (both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

children guessed (but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone’s any was all to her

someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then) they
said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men (both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain