7.15.2026 – the squall sweeps gray-winged

the squall sweeps gray-winged
sense summer anger passing
summer gentleness

The squall sweeps gray-winged across the obliterated hills,
And the startled lake seems to run before it;
From the wood comes a clamor of leaves,
Tugging at the twigs,
Pouring from the branches,
And suddenly the birds are still.

Thunder crumples the sky,
Lightning tears at it.

And now the rain!
The rain — thudding — implacable —
The wind, reveling in the confusion of great pines!

And a silver sifting of light,
A coolness;
A sense of summer anger passing,
Of summer gentleness creeping nearer —
Penitent, tearful,
Forgiven!

Squall as published in A Canopic Jar by Leonora Speyer von Stosch (E.P. Dutton & company: New York, 1921).

According to Wikipedia, Leonora Speyer or Lady Speyer was an American poet and violinist. She was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Count Ferdinand von Stosch of Manze in Silesia, who fought for the Union in the American Civil War, and Julia Schayer, who was a writer.

However much money she had or the Speyer’s had or the von Stosch’s had, they had enough so that she had her portrait painted by John Singer Sargent.

Mr. Sargent made a lot of money painting portraits of people who had a lot of money.

It was Mr. Sargent who said that they hardest part of painting portraits of people who had a lot money was that he had to listen to those people talk while he painted.

As he put it, “Painting a portrait would be quite amusing if one were not forced to talk while working…. What a nuisance having to entertain the sitter and to look happy when one feels wretched.”