Lydia Yawn
Rita, Sandy, Irma, and Other Famous Female Storms
" . . . scientists surveyed hundreds of individuals and found that, even on paper,
they were less fearful of storms they thought would hit like a girl." – Alan Greenblatt
Silly boys think she'll hit like a girl. They take
their chances on front porches, sit in dilapidated
wooden rockers, throw parties. I listen to the wind
and rain play the chimes, rusted after last season.
No power nights, sleeping naked with windows open
for a misty breeze—tree limbs shake, crack, cry
under the pressure of the storm. Mother Nature bleeds
all her effort into each one—a menstrual cycle she wishes
men would live in fear by—I'm safe surrounded by my
candle collection. Waiting for her to pass as I lie in bed,
I meet her gaze, blow kisses as lightning strikes, whisper
let em' have it, they'll be afraid tomorrow—I count
the seconds before her thunder sounds, I know she's headed
for them, to let them know to never underestimate a woman.
Bio
Lydia Yawn is a queer, neurodivergent poet whose work focuses on exploring their identity and the concepts of home, family, and religion in the South. They graduated with a BA in English from Valdosta State University in South Georgia and is currently a third-year MFA student at Emerson College in Boston. Their work has been featured most recently in The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature and Jelly Bucket. They are also the 2022 recipient of the Academy of American Poets prize.