After the Rain

"Under my head till morning; but the rain
Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh
Upon the glass and listen for reply...."
- Edna St Vincent Millay

Take a Bow - Reya Mellicker, digital photograph, 2011

The rain came in uneasy waves through the night, each storm more insistent than the one before it. The charged skies cackled constantly like hags on their brooms, and the drops of rain tapped incessantly on the bedroom window.

I rose to watch the skies, and wondered at the sight. Thunderstorms at any time are impressive to watch, but at night, one must use all the senses to see clearly.

I stepped out onto the deck out back by the woods, and felt that fresh, clean, breezy air that always seems to arrive with a storm. The scent of the rain was clear, too, and I found myself wondering why the rain smells the way it does. Arcs of lightning flashed above the treetops, thunder ruptured the silence, and the rain came down in earnest.

There is a funny little tinge of fear I feel as a storm begins, and isn't that a primal feeling? It's a feeling of awe at the unknown and uncontrollable, I think, and probably a universal feeling. Do you feel it, too?

Just as universal as the fear before the storm is the peace we feel after the rain. The world is washed clean, the air is sweet, and we feel the soft stillness left by the storm. Oh, what a beautiful feeling it is after the rain. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

I don't know how long this peace will last...well into the morning, I hope. But for now, I'll appreciate each beautiful, quiet, clean, precious moment of "after the rain."

A great big thank you to my sweet friend, Reya, for allowing me to use her exquisite photograph for this post. To see more of her astounding photography, go to her blog, The Gold Puppy.

Another big thank you to a dear friend in the ballet world, Amy T., for the video you are about to see.

Amy is a wonderful ballet teacher in Ohio, and says about this piece, "...Every great once in a while we get to feel like we are the wind, the ocean, and the sun, and make others believe it and take them on that journey along with us."

Well said, Amy.

I know you'll feel the beautiful peace of "After the Rain" as I did. Enjoy.


This is Damian Smith and Yuan Yuan Tan of San Francisco Ballet in "After The Rain" choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, and performed at the Fire Island Dance Festival in 2010. The music is "Spiegel Im Spiegel." from the album "Alina," by Arvo Part.