After the Storm: What Remains and What Is Revealed
There’s something about a storm that doesn’t just pass over us—it passes through us. Edward Shanks’ poem reminds us that storms, though loud and jarring, often leave behind a surprising gift: clarity.
The Storm
Edward Shanks
We wake to hear the storm come down,
Sudden on roof and pane;
The thunder’s loud, and the hasty wind
Hurries the beating rain.
The rain slackens, the wind blows gently,
The gust grows gentle and stills,
And the thunder, like a breaking stick,
Stumbles about the hills.
The drops still hang on leaf and thorn,
The downs stand up more green;
The sun comes out again in power
And the sky is washed and clean.
Three Questions to Dive Deeper:
- What emotional or spiritual “storms” in your life have eventually brought clarity or renewal?
- How do you interpret the line “the thunder, like a breaking stick, / Stumbles about the hills”? What does this say about the nature of fear or chaos?
- What parts of your life feel “washed and clean” after a personal storm, and what lessons did the rain leave behind?