Christopher Haywood Poet Free verse

Notes About The Poem

A literal storm matches an internal emotional collapse—and the subsequent relief of radical acceptance.

Stepping Onto the Porch

She watched sheets of gray water fall from the sky,
watching the maple branches buckle under the weight.
The storm had snapped the power lines down the street,
wrecking every single plan she had for the day.
Muddy water rushed down the concrete curb,
a cold, steady drumming that wouldn’t let up.
To her tired eyes, looking out the window, 
it just felt like one more thing breaking.

It is so easy to just turn the key and lock the world out.
To sit on the floor, cursing the puddle leaking in,
building a fortress out of your own anxiety
just to hide from what’s hanging over your head.
Lately, every little setback felt personal,
like life was chucking rocks straight at her.
So she stayed crawled up in her own quiet corners,
keeping her face frozen, out of the rain.

But then the thunder rattled the window pane.
She stopped, took a real breath, and actually looked outside.
She turned the deadbolt and walked out onto the porch,
carrying no umbrella, no armor, nothing to hide behind.
The freezing rain soaked right through her clothes,
but under the chill, something quiet started to shift.
The storm wasn't angry. It was just the weather doing what weather does;
just a blank, neutral sky moving through.

She closed her eyes and let the water hit her face.
The storm wasn't going to change for her,
and the world wasn't going to fix itself.
But inside, she felt a sudden, warm quiet.
Our eyes couldn’t stop the lightning from flashing,
but we get to choose what kind of shelter we take.

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Alison A Smith October 6, 2026 at 5:05 AM The free verse gives the storm and her emotional turmoil room to unfold naturally, while stepping onto the porch becomes a powerful turning point—from resistance to acceptance. The contrast between freezing rain and “a sudden, warm quiet” makes the relief tangible, and the closing image of choosing shelter leaves a thoughtful sense of agency amid what cannot be controlled.