Poem: After the Rain

So this is my first try at a villanelle. One of the refrain lines popped into my head months ago as I was processing the flooding and damage caused by Irene here in Vermont. I've never seen water rise that fast or furiously in my life and I spent most of my life on the giant flood plain that is Louisiana. I've been through a lot of storms in my life, and several others are begging for poems as well. So this may be the first in a series of poems dealing with storms. We'll see.

As always concrit is welcome and appreciated.

After the Rain

The world as we know it is gone
new life grows through rotten floors.
Our world may end, but life grows on.

Over saturated the lawn
couldn't absorb the rain more.
The world as we know it is gone.

Down the banks the water ran on
until it overwhelmed the shores.
Our world may end, but life grows on.

Up the river rose, danger dawned,
torrents unleashed, destruction roared,
the world as we know it is gone.

Roads, cars, homes, so much lost, withdrawn
downstream, rubble forevermore.
Our world may end, but life grows on.

Water receded, clean-up dawned;
community strengthened through chores.
The world as we know it is gone.
Our world may end, but life grows on.

Pottermore and Official Sorting--Not Quite the House I was Expecting

I've always self-identified as a Hufflepuff. I'm hardworking, loyal and absolutely stubborn about things (badgers suit me nicely). However, like many I could just as easily identify with at least one other house. Being an academic at heart and loving to learn just cause learning is fun, Ravenclaw is also a good fit. Out of curiosity, and because the site looked like fun, I signed up with Pottermore and explored far enough into the first story to get both my wand and to get sorted.

My wand is 10 inches, made of yew with a unicorn hair core and is described as "surprisingly flexible." According to the notes on wand woods, yew wands are rare and has gained a reputation as being particularly suited for dueling and curses. The text then goes on to note that a witch or wizard matched with a yew wand is not necessarily more likely to be attracted to the dark arts, and that many attracted to the wands are fierce protectors. While yew is notorious for uses in dueling and curses, unicorn hair cores are generally the hardest to turn to dark arts. Unicorn hair makes for incredibly loyal wands apparently, and can also make for melancholy wands if they are not used frequently (many apparently that the hair must be replaced). The flexibility apparently denotes the "degree of adaptability and willingness to change possessed by the owner." So having a surprisingly flexible wand does suit my chameleon nature. I learned to adapt to life's oddities at a rather young age. I have no idea how a wand is selected (you answer some questions, but none of them are typical personality type questions), but it does seem to select an appropriate wand.

As for house, well I truly expected to be sorted into Hufflepuff (see my reasoning above), so was slightly surprised when I was sorted into Ravenclaw. Upon reflection it makes sense. I have always been a "book geek," and loved learning. I even went to a boarding school that focused on presenting college prep classes, had required study hours, and required a love for academia. Strangely enough Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts (yes, it's a mouthful--we usually just said LSMSA or Louisiana School), the school in question, had an eagle for a mascot and the school's colors were blue and gold. And of the friends I went to that school with who have been sorted at Pottermore, most (if not all) are in Ravenclaw. This makes me grin madly for some reason. Anyway, I still identify strongly with Hufflepuff, but I guess I need to get a few Ravenclaw icons now too.