Left in the Rain

Left in the Rain

One sodden sock
and another
dotting the yard
like strange flowers.

Treasure Island
swollen up,
laid butterfly to dry.

In a plastic bowl,
bloated Goldfish
crackers swim.

A polka-dot rain jacket,
discarded, shields
a patch of grass.

Chalk portraits, cities,
my children’s names,
tattooing our driveway:
all erased

New baptized, these
tender leaves push up
from the dirt.

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Renee Emerson

Renee Emerson is a homeschooling mom of five who can usually be found at the library, on a nature walk, or reading Tolstoy.

She is the author of three collections of poetry, the most recent of which is Church Ladies (Fernwood Press 2023), and the middle-grade novel Why Silas Miller Must Learn to Ride a Bike.

For her book reviews for the whole family, check out her monthly Renee's Book Bag on Substack.

Latest posts by Renee Emerson (see all)

• Two Poems for Summer - June 11, 2025
• Review: Between Flowers and Bones by Carolyn Leiloglou - November 25, 2024
• Beads and Buttons: A Poem - August 14, 2024