there are storms inside me
that no forecast could name
thunder lives beneath my ribs
lightning splits old wounds open
and whole oceans
rise behind my eyes
some days I am all turbulence
all dark skies and restless wind
the rain never seems to finish
it only finds new ways to fall
flooding the places I thought
had already drowned
and I carry the wreckage quietly
as if no one can hear
the storm still raging within me
The Creative Chic
The Creative Chic 
I feel it and I understand this place more than anything. You illustrated something perfectly for me to relate to in my own context. Some days, I wish the storms would go away. Some days, they help me learn new insights about myself. But ultimately, I want joy, fun, peace, and stability. Which is why I hate those kinds of days. And for me personally, I have more stormy days than sunny days because of where I have been placed in this life. But I’m trying my best to learn to embrace the storms as much as I possibly can because I know that I have many people that love me and care about me. You are one of them. And I’m honored and privileged to be in your life. It means everything to me. And hell, I love helping put some sunshine in your storms whenever I possibly can. 🌞❤️💞
I imagine all of us here can relate to this in some way.Thank you for your kind words and know that I am rooting for you. I know the last few months have been rough, but it won’t always be like this. Hang in there and know you have friends and family who love you, me included.
I can hear. I’m here. You’re not alone. 🫂
Thank you, love 🫂 you’re just the sweetest soul
Only the most fortunate of us have the privilege of having no storms inside of us. Clear weather with no memory of or experience with rough waters is, quite honestly, the case for no one I know.
Therefore, your words will resonate with all who read it. “Lightning splits old wounds open” is as bright and definitive of a metaphor I’ve read. The pain is evident. But the pain is even greater by the concept that it was once thought healed, but now reopened.
I understand the days of “turbulence, all dark skies” …this line harkens back to the “bruised and sullen storm clouds” of “Jacob’s Ladder” by Rush.
Your metaphors are heavy as lead and as deep as an abyss.
So, how do we, as humans, overcome when the “oceans rise behind my eyes” – an achingly beautiful line that reminds me of “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros – how do we heal? The answer I submit is to write. To feel. To resonate. To process.
It’s the only way to heal.
Upon first reading, your words recalled an absolute classic: Oliver Wendell Holmes’s “The Chambered Nautilus” and the journey of the ship and its ultimate demise. But as shown his lines:
“Thanks for the heavenly message brought by thee,
Child of the wandering sea,
Cast from her lap, forlorn!
From thy dead lips a clearer note is born
Than ever Triton blew from wreathèd horn!”
…there is much to learn and in the case of our inner storms much to be healed by the lesson these storms have hidden in their roiling waves.
Despite how commonly storms occur, it is rare that we heal on our own. So my hope for you, dear Jenn, and for all of us, is that we find a harbor. An oasis. A respite. Perhaps our faith. Perhaps our people…family, best friend, spouse, lover, soulmate…and if we are truly lucky, it’s all the same person.
We can’t stop the storms. But with help, we can hopefully stop the drowning.
Thank you for these beautiful words.
I think so much of life is spent trying to outrun the storms. Maybe in my case anyway. What saves us is not our ability to avoid them, but the harbors we find along the way. The people who sit beside us in the dark. The love that reminds us who we are when we feel lost at sea.
And perhaps that is the real miracle. Not that the storms cease, but that we find shelter in one another. That a hand reaches for ours when we are tired. That a voice calls us back to shore when we have drifted too far. That we are reminded, again and again, that we were never meant to weather life’s tempests alone.
Your words are a beautiful reminder that while we cannot stop the storms from coming, love, faith, and connection can keep us afloat until the skies clear. Thank you for sharing that wisdom. ❤️
Great metaphor and language, especially in the 3rd, 4th & 5th lines. Well done, Jenn!
Thank you so very much!
This definitely resonates with me. There are storms inside me.” “Thunder lives beneath my ribs.” That thunder is my anxiety. Those storms are my past bad memories.
I absolutely love this. ☺️
I can 100% relate to this as well. It makes me feel a little better knowing that I’m not alone in this. Neither are you. Thank you for your lovely comment.
Awesome depiction of the storms we personally live with!!
Bellissimo, Jennifer, Bellissimo
Chuck :- )
Thank you, Chuck!
:- ) Always love reading your words, My Dear!! They have a magical way of coming to life!!
You always post things that hit me so hard in my soul. Thank you.
And, thank you so much for being here!
Provoking piece, well done!
Thank you, Warren!
Blessings to you!