Dancing in the Rain

“Dancing in the Rain

Rain hits the windows, hard

Collects puddles on the streets

But you don't need an umbrella

When you embrace it with bare feet

Feet that move, right along with the falling water

In fleet

And arms that swing, any which way you please

You toss the umbrella to the side

And throw your hood behind

Raise your head back & taste the falling earth

For a simple moment

During one familiar song

Your rain dance evokes

You step hard, splashing, and even end up laughing

Singing along to the words you know

While improvising the others, but still dancing

Wet & Alive

And keep to the rhythm

Of the rain and, potentially, Life”

She returns to work after her lunch break. Jotting down the poem in the notebook she kept in her car. With hair sopping wet and clothes only slightly damper, she smiles as she exits her vehicle and badges in the building to enter.

She certainly held a prestigious title & role. And headed to her cornered & windowed office, after greeting the familiar faces she saw along the way.

She worried for a moment, wondering, “While working with and for such a good company and having such a covenenanted position, can one simply return to work like this, without any imposition?”

She sighed as she entered her office, thinking, “Oh well, they shouldn’t care what I look like or what I do on my breaks” …” What should matter is how I perform and how much I help the company make”.

She spoke to an employee or two, and helped them with their issues, for the moment and as it seemed. Then a knock came at her office door.

It was the Manager, and they were asking to see her in their office as soon as possible.

Though caught a bit off guard, she responded that she could be there very swiftly, with a smile. And then arrived with pen and paper in the Manager’s chair not long after a while.

“There’s been some concerns about you lately”, her Manager stated, very frankly.

She listened intently but stared back, blankly.

“I won’t get into it in detail now, but for today, it’s how you have decided to return to work from your break looking very…unsightly, let’s just say” ….

It was raining went I went to lunch – she stated

To which her Manager replied, “That may be the case, but we have an image and reputation as professionals to uphold, and you simply returning to the office like this is Repulsive,”

Repulsive? She replied… with a higher and somewhat desperately curious voice

“Eh…Unacceptable & Incongruent with our image.” – her Manager attempted to clarify

I see – she said…but yet my story is still Untold. You have not given me the chance to explain the stress I am under [both personally and professionally], but choose to Reprimand me, without understanding. And the Rain…the Rain…the Rain… was my unfold….my Muse… my Therapy….my Happiness today. Though it was briefly, and while I do not do it often, or in fact ever, you must consider this and so…please, give me some reprieve.

“That I cannot give, especially considering all the assignments you have missed”, her Manager pursued.

But all my work is caught up to date – I have not turned in anything late.

“Yes, well, while that may be the case, the quality of your submissions & work has suffered, and this is something we cannot continue to entertain.”

She, again, listened intently, but stared back with no words and unblinking.

“We have decided to separate your employment, effective immediately.” – her Manager said, with no empathy or affect

Her mind raced for a moment or two -- Is this because of my appearance, the personal things I have disclosed, or something quite more? I do not know. But I will not ask these questions now.. or perhaps ever. I will gracefully grab the things out of my office and be gone from this place forever.

“Do you have any questions?” her Manager inquired.

Just one – she said --- I’ve made this company a lot of money, but what does this company put worth on for and if or when one of their employees actually smiles?

Now, the Manager stared back at her, unblinking and blankly.

“It’s just time for you to go” – The manager replied

She got up from her manager’s office chair, shook her wet hair, dampening and getting droplets of the remnants of her wetness on the papers of their desk.

And bowed in the doorway of and before the office that she left.

She collected her belongings from her professional space. As she knew was the next step

And doing so with grace.

Then, with what should be a shameful walk out of the door

She did so with a smile while retreating from the floor.

She exited the building (being escorted, as her badge had been taken).

And was pleased to find that

It was still raining…

She stood in the rain

With her box of “personal but useless office items” in her hand

Put her head up and laughed

For all the stress that had endured

After at all of the judgement and misunderstanding she had encountered

She had learned.

Much.

But she finally felt free.

The rain fell harder

And she twirled

One last time.

For what she thought was one last (or perhaps just another) Dance in the Rain

Hoping that all of the Pain she had recently endured

Would surely not be in Vain.

“Dancing in the Rain

Rain hits the windows, hard

Collects puddles on the streets

But you don't need an umbrella

When you embrace it with bare feet

Feet that move, right along with the falling water

In fleet

And arms that swing, any which way you please

You toss the umbrella to the side

And throw your hood behind

Raise your head back & taste the falling earth

For a simple moment

During one familiar song

Your rain dance evokes

You step hard, splashing, and even end up laughing

Singing along to the words you know

While improvising the others, but still dancing

Wet & Alive

And keep to the rhythm

Of the rain and, potentially, Life”