Persistence

Echoing rain muffles the air.
Distance seems to be lost to clouds
closing in like damp sheep. Sheeting rain
drips and drums, persistent and loud.
At the window, I hug a mug of tea, distantly,
listening to rain disappear into the distance.

Kim M. Russell, 15^th April 2025

On 15^th April we are halfway through NaPoWriMo, with the online gallery of the National Museum of New Zealand as today’s resource, and an optional prompt, based on The MC5’s stage MC and warm-up man Brother J.C. Crawford’s words with which he opened a concert in Japan in 1969, and a short poem, ‘The Shirt’ by Jane Kenyon.

Our challenge is to write a six-line poem that has the same qualities as Brother J.C.’s warm-up and Kenyon’s poem, which both are informed by repetition, simple language, and express enthusiasm. They have a sermon/prayer-like quality, and then end with a bang.

Inspired by the series of ‘Rain’ photographs by Frank Hoffmann, which I found in the online gallery of the National Museum of New Zealand, I reworked an old poem that reflects the weather this morning.