I awaken to electrically charged air particles
standing the hairs of my arms up at attention,
the bed a warm cocoon holding at bay
a world awash in rain.

The crackling energy is both felt and heard
in thunderous crashes and booms,
reverberating through sternum and heart.

I step out beneath the overhanging roof past the door,
daring to enter the domain between my safe interior
and a world no longer my own, warmth at my back,
and wildness in my face.

The storm subsides to a murmur as I step further out,
the soaked hem of my long dress slapping my ankles
as I bury my face in the humid, red scent
of newly opened roses, droplets trickling down face and arms.

I turn, renewed wild creature,
and turn and turn again,
falling to the wetness beneath my feet,
breathing the earth through my skin.

Finally I am chilled and soaked, abashed and ready to return
to my civilized home, stripping bare and sharing the warmth beneath
feathered down comforters with my waiting love,
through delicate touches and wondering kisses blending
the wild without and the warm within.