The Earth was finally close enough to the Sun to
be kissed, letting the sky rain with
gutter’s waste and dripping tree branches, slipping
icy roads into puddles, soaking
snow into grass beneath.
People, once bound by coats and scarves, shed
the weight of winter, breathing
sighs feeling spring’s first breath, now
remembering winter won’t last forever.
They met then, not only in
the warm respite of their homes, but on
wet sidewalks, walking together.
I saw a couple kiss each other goodbye, and
smiling, I put my eyes away.
Behind the Writing
“I was inspired to write this poem while walking home on the first warm day of the year. I noted how it seemed to be raining from the melting snow, and how a lot more people were out and about than usual. I wrote the first draft just saying everything I saw, and then I tried to create some type of form. I alternated between ending the lines with verbs or with prepositions, and I ended each stanza with an adverb. The stanzas also get a line shorter as the poem continues, almost like the poem is melting with the snow. I also bookmarked the poem with a kiss to fit with the title.”
Riley McComb
Writer To Writer Literary Journal 