In the early 80’s my family moved to southern California. Shortly after that move we took a boat ride over to Catalina Island. This was the first time I’d ever been on the ocean. I wrote these three poems that day. If you read them please keep in mind that I was only in my early teens and knew nothing about poetry.

I wrote this in my seventh grade creative writing class.

Storm

The dark clouds slowly roll across the sky

While the sunlight slowly fades

Gentle raindrops begin to fall in the grayish gloom

The drop become larger and fall harder

The rain feels like needles as it hits the green leaves of the trees

Still harder it falls

Leaving tiny craters in the dirt

Thunder booms

Lightning strikes

As quickly as it started the rains stops

The dark gray clouds change

To gray and white

And a short distance from there in a place that can never be reached

Is the dreamlike rainbow