A Poem for Anxious Times

Praise the Rain BY JOY HARJO

Praise the rain; the seagull dive The curl of plant, the raven talk— Praise the hurt, the house slack The stand of trees, the dignity— Praise the dark, the moon cradle The sky fall, the bear sleep— Praise the mist, the warrior name The earth eclipse, the fired leap— Praise the backwards, upward sky The baby cry, the spirit food— Praise canoe, the fish rush The hole for frog, the upside-down— Praise the day, the cloud cup The mind flat, forget it all— Praise crazy. Praise sad. Praise the path on which we're led. Praise the roads on earth and water. Praise the eater and the eaten. Praise beginnings; praise the end. Praise the song and praise the singer. Praise the rain; it brings more rain. Praise the rain; it brings more rain.

Joy Harjo, "Praise the Rain" from Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings.  Copyright © 2015 by Joy Harjo.  Reprinted by permission of W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. Source: Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings (W W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2015)