Audio: https://soundcloud.com/teresa-beesa/rainy-days-and-seasonal-complaints

RAINY DAYS AND SEASONAL COMPLAINTS

By Teresa Stanish

I’ve always loved rainy days,

but today it’s made working much more challenging.

From balancing an umbrella to dodging disturbing puddles-

Seriously, I stared into a puddle and felt physically ill.

The squirmy white wormy things

in the muck stirred up my stomach and slowed my pace.

Usually rainy days meant-

Snuggled under covers of warmth with a cup of tea and a good movie,

but today I have to trudge up slippery Tallahassee slopes with a runny nose and stress in loads.

Seasonal depression now makes complete sense.

My tropical upbringing meant I was only adjusted to sunshine-all-the-time depression.

Now Tally’s mid-spring showers send resentment surging through my shivering veins.

I’m tired and complaining and I have so much shit to do,

but I won’t let my spring virus or the icy drops

soaking my sweater sap my dwindling energy reserves-

Because I made it to class, albeit twenty minutes late.

But I see this as a victory.

I see this as a way to take back my love for rainy days.

I was wondering how I could make the transition to the ending flow more. I ended it on a more uplifting note, but I'm wondering if it was too abrupt. I was also wondering if it's too wordy? I sometimes think my poems may have too many sentences. You may understand what I mean if you remember some of the wordier Rainbow Poptart poems. Though, I do enjoy writing them like this so I'm not sure. Any other critiques are welcome, and I'm curious to know if you entered through any specific gates.