Thank God it’s raining.
The smokers go outside
and smoke.
I wish they’d smoke in their homes.
I wish they’d kill their family’s lungs
instead of mine.
They smoke in front of my window.
I can’t afford air conditioning.
I wake up in the night,
actually wake up
from the smoke.
Wake up coughing.
But tonight it’s raining.
They don’t smoke when it rains.
Or they do,
but not in front of my window.
I pray for thunder
every day of my life.
I can hear it now,
protecting me,
screaming for the smokers
to stay inside
and let us live.
It’s Raining by Ron Riekki
