Red Rain

My dreams come hued in red
emerge like falling rain
dispersing to return
in cloudbursts    relentless
the sky weeping rivers
of remorse and regret

waters drawing regret
currents edged in bloodless red
I navigate rivers
that fade behind the rain
pouring heart’s relentless
sorrow into return

Departure and return
remain refuse regret
sky weeping    relentless
torrents ablaze in red
I look for rainbowed rain
that redirects rivers

Blurring blending rivers
 and revisions return
as sanctuaries    rain
recoloring regret
blues singing behind red
blues calling    relentless

melody relentless
bless and trust the rivers
disintegrate the red
begin again    return
releasing all regret
in new unshadowed rain

in fresh untroubled rain
absolved now    relentless
bursts of flooded regret
white flash haunting rivers
to follow    to return
blues singing above red

Regret shelters in red
 of relentless return
rain dreaming in rivers

Jane Dougherty’s challenge this week included Franz Marc’s painting “In the Rain”, above, and the words
Rain, red, relentless, river, regrets
This immediately made me think of Peter Gabriel (“red rain is falling down, falling down all over me”), and both the painting and the words seemed to call for repetition.  I added the word “return” and decided to attempt a sestina.

It’s definitely still in progress.  But I think some parts work, even though every time I look at the poem I make more changes.

The artwork started out as the collage, above.  I dripped red rain, and then some blues.

  Some days definitely call for blues.