The last straw was the rain.

That morning, coffee spilled

Down my favorite sweater -

Which I shrunk to squirrel-size

In the dryer.

Three rejection emails.

My hair demanded chaos.

Sadie, my dog, gave me

The side eye, like she knew.

So I went for a walk.

Because why not?

The universe already hated me.

What could it do next?

My umbrella snapped.

I left it on a bench.

I’d barely made it to the park

When the sky cracked open.

No gentle drizzle.

Just sideways rain that

Drenched me in seconds,

My socks heavy with defeat.

Each step squished.

Wind slapped my cheeks.

Everything was cold,

Except my building rage.

And then a car sped by,

Spraying a tidal wave

Straight down my front.

I nearly cried.

But something cracked.

Not my heart, but my

Composure. And I laughed.

Like, really laughed.

The kind that lives in your ribs.

I raised my arms and

Screamed at the clouds,

Twirling like chaos herself.

Mascara streaked.

I am a drowned rat

With royal delusions.

A stranger honked. I bowed.

For a moment,

I forgot everything.

And then I remembered.

I was still here.

Soaked and absurd,

I claimed the title:

Queen of Puddles

Goddess of Wet Ruins.

Unfixable. Unbothered.

Free.

And when the rain stopped,

The sun warmed my face.

Every puddle knew my feet

As I skipped and splashed home.

‘Today was weird,

But I think I might be magic,’

I texted my friend Tim

And grabbed a towel.

The job still sucks.

The sweater is still ruined.

But next time the world breaks,

I’ll remember to dance.