Madison Yardumian ‘21
This afternoon I took a walk in the rain
To remind myself
That bleeding is one of the greatest
Magic tricks of being alive
Sometimes when we cry
We feel the old flow
Out to make space for the new
The despair shifts
Appreciation settles in
And we are grounded
This is how we are gently pushed
Into becoming people
We might actually like to know
Sometimes I feel like concrete in the rain
Letting puddles
The weight of other people’s footsteps
Beat me into a grainy submission
Cracking in the empty spaces
I collect water like a basin
And yet I am filled to the brim
With barrenness
Sensations run hollow
In these moments
I remind myself to be more like the earth
Taking in what’s given to me
And in the thick of the mush I tell myself
There are worse things to be
Than soft
So when pouring rain turns to drizzle
And I regret the way I felt
Because it is no longer worth feeling
I look down at my water-stained shoes
More brick than flotation device
And I remind myself that
A natural ebb and flow
Does not nullify a natural reaction
That pain is both fleeting and real
And when we tell ourselves
There is no shame
In hurting
This is how we heal
I keep walking
I hear the gentle squeak my steps make
When they hit the sidewalk
And feel the two mold together
Feet to pavement
Pavement to dirt
A little less concrete
A little more earth
So yes, bouncing back
May seem easier on solid ground
But that’s because man
Made things he could fix
So he could claim
He is a natural healer
But he forgets
That nature heals man
So today I will resolve
To grow with the grass
Feel the magic in my bones
And let the promise of the sky
Leave me cold and wet and
Beautiful and free
And as tufts of dandelions
Poke out from
Cracks in my skin
I will let life make me:
A little less presuming
A little more forgiving
A little less broken
A little more living
Image Credit : Luca Santico
