Poetry Friday: “The Old Man and the Rain”

It seems I’m always thanking people for providing me the inspiration to write stuff! It might be my family (see this past Tuesday’s post about social media and Jello shots) or it could be a fellow children’s writer (see last Friday’s poem).  This week, I owe a debt of gratitude to David L. Harrison.

Last weekend, David posted a poetry starter on his blog. He and his wife were vacationing in Florida, but it had been raining the entire time, so he asked his readers to come up with a few lines based on his “misery.” Of course, the definition of “misery” is subjective; for someone like me who lives in New Hampshire, ANY day in Florida is a good day!

But since it has been so rainy and dreary here this year – the rainiest summer I can recall, really – I could definitely empathize with him. So I wrote a short poem and posted it on his blog.  (You can read everyone’s poems, including mine, HERE)

As I looked at it and considered tweaking it, I thought I might be able to improve it a bit but changing the concept of “the man” to “the old man.” By doing so, I hoped to make a stronger differentiation between the ages of the two characters; it may, perhaps, be more obvious that they are one in the same. Moreover, the inference that this person is an older fellow gives the poem a potentially deeper meaning – is he actually watching rain fall, or is this whole scene allegorical, about something bigger and more universal?

I dunno. But that’s the beauty of poetry, right? Hopefully it’s not too deep for an alleged children’s poem…but it is what it is. As I always tell people, I don’t write for a particular audience or market, I just write.  It’s only when I’m done writing something that I try to figure out what to do with it or where to put it.

So, having said that – here it is! I hope you enjoy it. And for all of today’s Poetry Friday info and links, please visit Michelle Barnes at Today’s Little Ditty!

Outside the old man’s window!

The Old Man and the Rain

The old man stares through window glass;
another rainy day.
He tries to catch a glimpse of sun,
but all he sees is grey.

He says a secret, silent prayer
to wish the rain away.
Although the man has work to do,
the boy would like to play.

– © 2013, Matt Forrest Esenwine

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