Poem-A-Day: Storm Ending by Jean Toomer

Storm Ending by Jean Toomer     Thunder blossoms gorgeously above our heads,  Great, hollow, bell-like flowers,  Rumbling in the wind,  Stretching clappers to strike our ears . . .  Full-lipped flowers  Bitten by the sun  Bleeding rain  Dripping rain like golden honey--  And the sweet earth flying from the thunder.            Today's poem is in the public domain.  About This Poem As a young adult, Toomer actively participated in a literary society and was acquainted with such prominent figures as the critic Kenneth Burke, the photographer Alfred Steiglitz, and the poet Hart Crane. Around the same time, Toomer became interested in Unitism, a religion founded by the Armenian George Ivanovich Gurdjieff. The doctrine taught unity, transcendence, and mastery of self through yoga: all of which appealed to Toomer, a light-skinned black man preoccupied with establishing an identity in a society of rigid race distinctions. More Poetry by Toomer Cane (Liveright, 1993)   Poem-A-Day Launched during National Poetry Month in 2006, Poem-A-Day features new and previously unpublished poems by contemporary poets on  weekdays and classic poems on weekends. Browse the Poem-A-Day Archive.   September 21, 2013 In 1894, Jean Toomer was born in Washington, D.C. Though he passed for white during certain periods of his life, he was raised in a predominantly black community and attended black high schools. Throughout his life, he saw himself as an individual living above the boundaries of race and his meditations center around his longing for racial unity. He died in 1967. Related Poems History of Hurricanes by Teresa Cader Of Politics, & Art by Norman Dubie The Snow Storm by Ralph Waldo Emerson   Thanks for being a part of the Academy of American Poets community. To learn about other programs, including National Poetry Month, Poem in Your Pocket Day, the annual Poets Forum, and more, visit Poets.org.

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