Stillness After the Storm

The power lines hum,
low and uncertain,
like a man trying to remember
the words to a song. 

The streets gleam —
not with rain, but with silence,
the kind that presses
against your ribs
until you forget
how to exhale.

A single leaf,
still trembling,
clings to the branch.
It does not know
if it is survivor
or witness.

The sky,
bruised purple and fading,
swallows
the last of the thunder.

Looking for more nature reflection moments? Check out these pieces.

• Black Swans: My Favorite Things
• Almost Paradise – Creative Garden Fiction
• The Sprout of Hope – Protest Poetry

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Sara Etgen-Baker

+ postsBio

After a 25-year teaching career, Sara Etgen-Baker began writing. She’s written a collection of memoir vignettes (Shoebox Stories), a collection of poems (Kaleidoscopic Verses), and a novel (Secrets at Dillehay Crossing). Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications including Guideposts and Chicken Soup for the Soul.

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