Birds After Rain

He loves watching

the cardinals, finches and doves

flock to the feeder

after the rain

has moved through.

It brings encouragement

to an old man’s day,

reminding him of the times

he huddled in fear

with family and neighbors

in the community storm house

in “tornado alley,”

waiting for the storm to pass,

and for the adults, men first,

to climb out of the shelter,

gaze at the sky,

and pronounce, “All clear.”

And with those father’s words,

a little boy’s faith in the world

was restored.

__Robert Hamblin__ is an emeritus professor of English at Southeast Missouri State University, where he taught for 50 years and served as the founding director of the school's Center for Faulkner Studies. He is the author or editor of nearly 60 books, including poetry, fiction, literary criticism, biographies and memoirs.

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