Rain at Sunset

By Zachary Furr

 

She stood at the window,

and watched the sun fall.

A light drizzle started,

and tapped on the window.

There in the evening light,

she wished she could have felt her beau.

 

He had been deployed to the far east,

his company had been lost in a storm,

after three weeks,

his company were declared missing in action.

 

She had known the risks when she had married,

she had accepted that perhaps that there would be times he would not come home,

she had assumed that his departure would not sting as much.

She could not have been more wrong.

 

When the captain and Chaplain had come to her door,

She recognized both of them,

She felt the sting of sorrow,

She felt the blood drain from her face,

And the cold of the floor as she her knees gave out on her.

 

The pain of the news could not have been more dire.

 

She had taken to looking out the window in the evenings,

Five weeks after the news was given,

Eight weeks after his last contact with her,

She stared out the window,

She looked out the window hoping to see some sliver of hope to go on.

 

The window premeditated cold as the the sun set into twilight.

The rain increases its tempo,

She reached for her shaw,

Hoping retain some heat,

Her tears welled in her eyes,

And she knew that she would be alone.

 

A knock at the door,

Was heard.

She did not wish to be disturbed from her mourning,

She ignored it.

She then heard the jingle of keys outside of the door.

The door opened.

 

A stranger entered with familiar footfalls,

She pulled her shawl tighter around her,

A large bag was placed on the floor,

and the steps came closer to her,

But rather than a forceful grip,

A soft strong comforting familiar embrace was felt.

A scent that she knew well,

A touch that was rough but kind,

 

And her tears welled behind her closed eyes once again,

But this time she cried tears of joy,

And she felt his warmth around her.