Since I was born
A tornado warning humming thru the hospital
I’ve always understood that
Our lives are full of rain
And instead of sitting at my window
Pressed against the pane
I chose to play
My mother watched, terrified
As I danced alongside the lightning
Knowing I wasn’t afraid to be struck
Now, I am the one who is petrified
Though I was never struck by lightning
The lighting went out
I’m shaking like a leaf
Constantly reminded that this isn’t life back in 2006
Where I was blissfully unaware
Of how tainted the water falling from the sky is
I stopped eating meat and playing in the rain
I saw the world the way I saw myself
Growing away from the child laughing in the rain
No shoes or cares about life
Until I learned about ringworms and parasites
The sun that shone in my eyes has set
And hasn’t risen again,
Though some claim to glimpse the rays
All they know is, there’s a spark
But today, reading about the wombs of the ocean and white stone mountains
I looked into a mirror and witnessed Dawn
The slivers of sunshine poking through to remind me that
There are people like me
Who can dance with lightning
And wield knowledge like thunder
