After Irma

by Arya F. Jenkins / September 17th, 2017

I want to help
Rain suffuses my perspective
I am caught where I am
Gazing at you
Whom I do not know but recognize–
Battered and indifferent
Fluttered like an absent twig
In Martian weather

All you see is empty sky
And a road so covered with debris
You don’t know where to begin
Or how to move forward

I am lucky to see things
Have them still

So I will help you
Clear paths
Create shelters
Stay warm
Until the storm calms
If it ever calms–

We will be strangers together.

Arya F. Jenkins is a Colombian-American poet and writer whose poems have appeared in many journals and zines, most recently Hawaii Pacific Review, Jerry Jazz Musician, OyeDrum Magazine and Reverie Magazine. Poetry is forthcoming in The Ekphrastic Review and The Bookends Review. Her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and has been widely anthologized. She is the author of four poetry chapbooks, a short story collection, Blue Songs in an Open Key (Fomite Press), and a novel, Punk Disco Bohemian (NineStar Press). Her latest poetry chapbook is Singing in the Dark (Alien Buddha Press, 2022). Read other articles by Arya F., or visit Arya F.'s website.

This article was posted on Sunday, September 17th, 2017 at 8:02am and is filed under Poetry.