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The Rainy Day, a poem by Keith Welch



The Rainy Day
by Keith Welch

The rain on the roof                   The rain helps hide
drums a soothing rhythm.          us from the soldiers.

It's a good day for                      all our belongings are sodden
reading or perhaps a nap.         and heavy- the mud slows us.

I curl in my armchair                 Our food is wet-in two days
with book and teacup.               it will be exhausted.

The rain rolls off the                  Maybe the rain will extinguish
roof, down the gutters.              our burning houses.

My eyelids are heavy; it's          The river is swollen; many will
a good day to stay in.                not survive the crossing.

The cat makes herself               Behind us, distant, we hear dogs
comfortable in my lap.               Thank God there are no helicopters.

I drop my book and lean           The children are cold, the old
back, resting my eyes.              sick; there's no way to warm them.

Sleep comes easily on such     We can only continue and
a rainy day.                               pray to live another day.


Keith Welch lives in Bloomington, Indiana, where he works at the IU Herman B Wells Library. He has poems published in Open: Journal of Arts & Letters, Writers Resist, Literary Orphans, and Dime Show Review. He enjoys meeting other writers and invites you to follow him on Twitter @Outraged_Poet