A RAIN DANCE OF LOVE by Carolyn Riker

Imagery and poetry seem to go hand in hand...

I’m perplexed and delighted each time I can let myself venture into a streambed of poetic pensiveness. This poem was conceived one such morning. The rain spoke a language all of its own and welcomed me to join in. Slipping softly into the syncopated rhythm, the leaves sang harmony and the wind was a sentient wave of mystery; I started to dance to the images in the full feeling of heart. The words found paper, next to the sink, and I began to write. Absentmindedly, I rinsed this poem through a load of laundry but the words clung to the paper and let me dry them in light breeze. Only slightly faded, I managed to decipher my pencil scribbles. It was the bones of a poem that needed tender editing. Here’s what I wrote:

A Rain Dance of Love

by Carolyn Riker

I danced in the rain,

unlike I ever knew

a scent of freshly rinsed linen

rushed through.

My feet became the earth

and my hair the wind,

my skin became petals of rose.

I was the colors of spring’s rebirthing.

I coveted the unfolding

of my sacred awareness;

a transcendence began and unveiled

an inner presence.

My edges of succulent blues

unfurled to a core of feathered

persimmon and tantalizing layers

and gilded winged hues.

Transparent hummingbirds flew

from my heart and mouth;

each bestowed tiny seashells

laid lovingly abreast, where

my soul’s shy nakedness grew.

I was gifted with eyes of spirits

both ancient and new;

and joined in a Shakti dance

of a thousand goddesses

draped in silk ferns of fresh morning dew!

Our hips swayed, with hands uplifted;

it was a dance of loving ourselves anew.

Tears of joyful eloquence chanted

a harmony of opal and emerald mist.

And the voices, a singing bowl my heart knew.

Photography by Chanel Baran

Carolyn Riker M.A., LMHC is a counselor, teacher, writer and poet. She’s been a regular columnist for Rebelle Society and prior to that several years at Elephant Journal. A collection of her work is available on her blog, Magic of Stardust and Words. Her poetry and prose has been featured in three books:  Journey of the Heart: An Anthology of Spiritual Poetry by Women. Where Journeys Meet: The Voice of Women's Poetry and Best of Rebelle Society, Volume I: Celebrating the Art of Being Alive. Between sips of coffee or tea and navigating life, Carolyn leads journal writing workshops, tutoring and has a private counseling practice. Additionally, she’s in the process of completing her first collection of poetry and prose. With the hopes of continued lunar inspiration and stars guiding her light, the book will be published in the fall of 2016. Carolyn can be reached via her e-mail address carolynra7@hotmail.com or on facebook here.  

~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~