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Contents | December 2003

More on poetry from The Atlantic Monthly.
The Atlantic Monthly | December 2003
 
Hailstorm

by Kay Ryan
 
 .....
 
audioear pictureHear the author read this poem (in RealAudio)


 Like a storm
of hornets, the
little white planets
layer and relayer
as they whip around
in their high orbits,
getting more and
more dense before
they crash against
our crust. A maelstrom
of ferocious little
fists and punches,
so hard to believe
once it's past.

What do you think? Discuss this article in Post & Riposte.
Kay Ryan, a lifelong Californian, has published five books of poetry, including Say Uncle (2000).
Copyright © 2003 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All rights reserved.
The Atlantic Monthly; December 2003; Hailstorm; Volume 292, No. 5; 104.
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