In the spirit of cycles coming to an end (in this case The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), today’s post features Jean Toomer’s poem “Storm Ending.” Trust me—it’s a wonderful poem that blends nature together in a fantastic explosion of sensory details. Likewise, I think the focus on nature is both apparent and effectively used in this poem, from the “Great, Hollow, bell-like flowers,” to the “bleeding rain.” It is not certain to me if the storm ever ends, at least according to the poem, but “Dripping rain like golden honey—” sounds like a post-rain drip to me.
Storms, as tremendous as they can be, always pass, as will the most severe moments we experience in our lives, from the mundane moments of existential panic to the finale of an extraordinary journey.
“Storm Ending” by Jean Toomer
Thunder blossoms gorgeously above our heads,
Great, hollow, bell-like flowers,
Rumbling in the wind,
Stretching clappers to strike our ears . . .
Full-lipped flowers
Bitten by the sun
Bleeding rain
Dripping rain like golden honey—
And the sweet earth flying from the thunder.
Works Cited
Toomer, Jean. Storm Ending by Jean Toomer – Poems | Academy of American Poets. poets.org/poem/storm-ending.
