A/N- I decided to try my hand at a free verse today, and I was both pleased an displeased with the results. I thought it was enjoyable enough, but read more like prose. Also, I can't get normal page breaks to work between stanza, so that's what the letters between brackets are. Anyway, I don't own the Hunger Games, which I'm sure is a huge shock. To absolutely no one. Enjoy!
Mama always said
"Hang out the clothes to dry."
But, Mama, dear,
what about the rain?
The sunny yellow dress hanging on the line,
Worn to my execution,
my "reaping"
now soaked soaked by the rain
of tears.
[t]
Because the rain washes away
my memories,
and now I want to rest.
[h]
The glitter of lights
and
the flash of painted smiles
fell on my smiling face
and I couldn't find myself.
It was an act. Always an act.
They can't just kill you,
They make you pretend
and lie to put on a good show
and kill yourself.
On my last free night I stood on the roof
in the rain.
[e]
I let the rain wash me away,
for I was already dead,
and the rain can only refresh.
[r]
The sun glinted off the horn,
blinding in my eyes.
The world held its breath and
I turned to run.
I hesitated then, as the gong sounded,
and death filled my eyes, nose, ears.
I waited for rain to wash me clean.
[a]
And the rain let me cry, Mama.
The rain doesn't judge.
It just hides your tears and cleans your heart.
[i]
I was always alone
Until he came.
He was smiles and trustworthiness,
And he made my world bright,
so bright.
I thought I was safe with him.
He was my friend,
but the rain soon fell on his
empty
corpse.
[n]
The rain washed off his blood,
And fell on District 1 too. I killed her for him,
But now the rain felt cold.
[t]
What had I done?
The blood wouldn't wash from my hands.
I saw it there forever and always.
[h]
So I lay down
and cried
and thought.
I chose who I was then.
I learned my truest self,
and the rain fell on my smile.
There's no difference between the rain
and the tears, I found.
They both just want to caress you.
[e]
And the rain washed away
My pain for a day,
[r]
And the rain washed away my fear.
I hid myself away,
Mama.
You understand,
I know you do. I couldn't kill.
Not again.
My life was not worth that torture
of guilt.
And the rain forgave me the way the world never would.
[a]
For the rain falls on all, even killer like me.
If you can learn to turn up your face
the rain will fall for you too.
[i]
My world became beauty.
I thought about what you said.
All my fear,
my hate,
my pain,
I hung them out to dry.
My metamorphosis
made the world good again
for me.
I laughed in the sun and forgot the rain.
[n]
But even the sun can't heal forever.
Darkness encroached
and the sun left me behind like a fickle friend.
[t]
The rain did not abandon me that night.
It rattled outside of my cave.
He appeared.
He was not like my friend.
He chased me and I ran from him
through the dark,
until I tripped,
fell and the rain poured on my prostrate body.
[h]
The rain couldn't help me now,
It couldn't save my body, at least.
But maybe it could still save my heart.
[e]
He pulled me up,
Right off the ground,
and I pitied him.
Mama, I did.
He never felt the rain.
He never put himself out to dry.
He never knew
how the rain can let your know yourself.
I looked into his eyes.
There was no joy there and
the rain dripped like loathing on his cheeks.
[r]
The rain washed away my hate,
but he wouldn't let it cleanse his.
And the rain can only heal you if you let it.
[a]
I didn't mind,
Mama,
as he plunged his knife into me.
I set my wounds
out to dry
And prayed in the rain that he'd do the same.
But I could see in his rain or tear streaked eyes, Mama,
He'd live or die hating himself,
And the rain couldn't help him.
[i]
And the rain washed away my guilt and anger,
As my blood swept from my body,
And the rain washed away my stains.
[n]
Mama, don't fear the rain.
Mama, set your pain out to dry.
Forgive, Mama.
I did.
[t]
Learn to live, not without me,
But with my memory.
And with the rain.
[h]
The rain washes away your tears now,
As you kneel in the garden,
And I will be always be there with it.
With you.
For, as someone said,
Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass,
It's about learning
To dance
In the
Rain.