when all is dark
and the clouds open up
and the winds begin to blow
the streets of my little town empty of life
at least the life I’ve known
but then I sit and listen
to another force take form
rising from rooftops
rising from the storm
rising from the cobblestones
and unlatched, metal gates
the town which seems devoid of life
begins to animate
the metal caps on old smokestacks
sing their clattering songs
the shutters and blinds of vacant homes
prompt spirits of their own
a battered, old cat in search of food
wails a sorrowful tune
the ebb and flow of the rain and the wind
beget a mournful mood
the gutters gush down ancient walls
the puddles turn to pools
incited by the raindrops
and lamplights burning true
shadows of towering trees
dance like ghosts in the gusts
shaking their limbs in a ghoulish jig
fevered and frantic and rushed
yet as the clouds go on their way
and pools disappear down the drains
the soul of the town is hushed again
by the calamity
by the humanity
by the dawn of another day
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Author: Anne Celano Frohna
I have been writing for as long as I could hold a pencil in hand and would not feel complete without it.
And I actually made a meager living at it (and as an editor) for 25 years.
I worked for newspapers and magazines, in graphic arts and advertising, and wrote several local history books.
But I have also taught English in Japan, been a Nanny in Italy, worked in and for museums, was an Airbnb Superhost for four years, as well as an Etsy shop owner where I sold vintage items I found over the years of thrift and yard sales.
After moving to Arizona with my family in 2010, I completed a series of different writing projects, including two books of creative non-fiction:
Just West of the Midwest: a comedy
(Based on journals I kept during my two years as an English teacher in rural Japan.)
Within Close Range: short stories of an American Childhood
(Short stories and poems about growing up as the middle of five children in suburban Chicago.)
I've also written children's stories and continue to write short fiction, but have recently found my voice in poetry.
This blog, however, is where my greatest passion comes alive.
I am also a mother of two wonderful girls, Eva (23) and Sophia (21) and wife to one wonderful husband, Kurt.
View all posts by Anne Celano Frohna
Dog-eared Stories 