After the Storm
I love the way the world looks after a storm—
Relieved from the cascade of tears,
Dirt and pollen washed away in a watery erosion.
The light softens and brightens,
Saturating the air,
And the drops of dew catch and swaddle the sun’s aura.
Blades of grass change from earthy to lemon lime,
And the world begins again.
I love the way you look after our storm—
Your renewed love electrocutes my veins while
The monsoon in my chest rages to clear every corner
Of our conversation,
Washing it away with the debris.
Your eyes water with vulnerability,
And forgiveness flows out of me
Until the next downpour.
Why are we the brightest after a storm?
It takes a force of destruction,
Heaving sobs or raging torrents of rain,
To clear the past and start from scratch.
When fear of the weather dies down with the wind,
I catch myself in awe of the beauty before me,
Hands pressed against the windows,
Hands pressed against your chest.
Why do you have to hurt me,
In order to love me?
Carli Wadas is a first-year graduate student in the English master’s program at Radford University. She received her bachelor’s from Radford as well, majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing and minoring in sociology. She splits her time between the cities of Radford and Fredericksburg, Virginia, throughout the year. She is currently working towards a poetry book whilst improving her fiction writing and dreams of being a published author. When she’s not writing, you can find her running, thrifting, walking along the New River, and spending time with loved ones.
