I loved volunteering as a docent in the children’s garden at Longwood Gardens– sparking curiosity, rousing squeals of delight, sharing a story. But since the pandemic, my role at Longwood has changed. I’m now a garden greeter. It’s definitely different, and although I do miss working with the children, I enjoy interacting more with guests.
One very hot day last week, in between answering questions about the schedule for fountain shows and helping a guest discover the type of tree we were standing under, I watched a thunderstorm rolling in. My mind started swirling, words and phrases coming at me like a sudden downburst. I was fearful of forgetting everything, so I used the voice app on my phone to quickly record in Notes (a first for me). The rhythm of the waltz playing during the fountain show inspired the meter when I finally got a chance to sit down and write.
Luckily the storm passed us by, but it left its mark in the words it inspired. I think the whole afternoon of inspiration and creativity meant much more than the result I offer here.
Thunderstorm Dance
Breezes swish leaves and move hazy gray clouds.
Birds gather close to their young.
Rumbles of drums,
Flashes of light—
a thunderstorm’s coming our way.
Draft, 2022Rose Cappelli
Margaret’s got the round up at Reflections on the Teche where she’s celebrating her birthday with rainbows and poetry. Be sure to take a peek!
Imagine the Possibilities 
“Rumbles of drums” is a just right image. We are getting thunderstorms daily. I love that you volunteer at Longwood Gardens. It seems to be a just right job for you, a beautiful place to inspire nature poetry.
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Thank you for putting your thunderstorm into a poem for all of us. Love those rumbling drums.
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I do notice the birds are quiet when storms gather, love that you put that in, Rose. What a grand gathering of words as you watched the gathering of the storm.
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Rose, the waltzing rhythm is wonderful. And I’m very impressed with your use of technology to capture the inspiration! I love to watch a storm approach; it’s almost a letdown if it passes by.
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I love all of the sensory details of your poem, Rose. The forceful breezes, protective parent birds, drumming sounds. Longwood Gardens is on my day trip bucket list!
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How wonderful! That rumble…that knowing a storm is coming. It’s such a rich and sensory poem. I love it!
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Rose, I lived in Cecil County, Maryland for many years and held a membership at Longwood Gardens, which is one of my favorite places on Earth. How gratifying it must be to work with kids in that amazing space. And, your poem beautifully captures the feeling, sights, and sounds of a summer storm. Thanks for sharing.
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I love summer thunderstorms and I love that you captured this!
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I was a lifeguard for my high school (and some college) summers, and that gave me the perfect vantage to watch summer storms rolling across the plains of Eastern Colorado. Your poem gets the storm vibe just right!
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Oh, I love this… growing up in Florida, I’ve always had a thing for thunderstorms. (And a healthy respect for lightning.) So glad you captured those words to wrangle into a poem later, Rose – it’s wonderful, and I can hear and feel the waltz!
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I love thunderstorms, Rose, and offer many kudos for your poem here… the swish of leaves and the rumbles of drums. Not to mention using the voice app on your phone… good for you! I envy your proximity to the gardens. I’ve visited twice, I think.
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Hi Rose, I love your use of sensory words in this poem and that photo is great! “Rumbles of drums” is perfect! I have enjoyed reading your poem aloud hearing your assonance of letter /s/. It’s great that you used your voice app in notes! Now, you will always have this memory to bring you back to this thunderstorm. I have always loved to listen, watch, and write about thunderstorms, too. They’re so exciting. How is your poetry book coming along? Thank you for sharing your poem, photo, and inspiration.
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