RELATIONSHIP Poem: I Saw the Rain and Let it Be, by Tanya Young

It’s quarter to six as I open my eyes
Glimpsing the world through veils
A heavy rain falling and the wind
Turned up way too loud
Pries it’s stiff fingers at the window

There is no sound but the pad of my feet
I make my way to the kitchen
And look out at the tiny yard
Where the oak tree is dressed for weather
And never stuck inside

The milk looks pale and worried
I add a splash to my coffee
The pills on the table
Watch me eat breakfast
A sad thin green vase gives a winks

The dog is content under the table
Yawning with delight
The blue and white tablecloth
Making a dry and safe tent
I say her name-she twists with pleasure

No light is pooling in the window
Raindrops nibble down the windowpane
I sing a song of water
Yes, I’ve been to the well, the river, and the pump
And know my baptism has come

Now I am floating free of myself
Taken root in the backyard
Watching life from beneath the surface
I’ve left you instructions about the dog
On the door of the refrigerator

My heart is lifted