Jean McLeod’s most recent poem to appear here was Rebus (September 2013).

Rain
By Jean McLeod

The sound of the wheels
of the round rubber wheels
from the cars in the street
on the rain-slicked street
makes me long for an hour
an hour with my love
when we’d walk
in the rain
in the rain falling down
through the dusk
through the leaves
through the leaves
on the ground.
We’d sing as we walked
as we walked through our town
through our small
through our dark
through our damp Southern town
and we’d laugh
as we sang
as we walked
through the town
where bright leaves from the trees
tumbled down
tumbled down.
Now, I walk alone
through our small Southern town
through the damp
through the dear
through the dark
Southern town
where the leaves
the dead leaves
tumble down
tumble down.
Now, leaves
–just dead leaves–
in a heap
on the ground.