“Desert Rain” by Leslie Cohen

my whole life spent learning to fall
the moment of descent approaches
still I shudder

others say it's beautiful
exciting
on the way down
but to touch the earth means to shatter
and I am afraid.

I am pushed
wind gusts at my tiny jelly self
shakes my dream of gray
I notice colors
never there before

free-fall is gentle and slow
below the wind stream
ruddy browns poke skyward to greet me
green and yellow-green await me on the ground
blotches of vibrant color swim
with energy far beyond gray
their breeze combs the grass.

I land in a color-cup
with other pellets of water
and I do not shatter or splatter:
I am re-embraced
into the common pool
whose memory was almost washed away
in the rain