Rain
Jim Johnson
Virginia Woolf’s sentences
slide past one another
like waltzing couples
rising and falling in a tempo
of waves naturally rolling
onto the beach often visited
with husband and others
of her acquaintance.
Now at home writing
in her room she looks out
on a Bloomsbury rainy evening
where walkers stroll with umbrellas.
The wet street glistens
in the light of taxis
that drive up and down,
never reaching a conclusion.
She pauses, recalling Mrs. Dalloway’s
party ruined by news of a suicide
and wonders if she too
will spoil someone’s party.
Poet’s Bio
Jim Johnson is a retired mathematician and engineer. He has been writing poetry for about five years.
Judge’s Comments – Penelope Scambly Schott
When I read a poem I am hoping to see something that interests me and makes me feel some intensity about it. I want a new experience, fresh imagery, and some kind of emotional response. I don’t want to be distracted by clichés or preaching or deliberate obscurity. After much reading and re-reading, I ended up picking these particular poems for their compassion and originality. “Rain” presents a concise portrait of Virginia Woolf with effective premonition.