by Charlotte Martin
How “Storm Clouds” by Erin Hanson reminds us that it’s okay to be vulnerable
The Author
Erin Hanson is a 21-year-old Australian poet who became popular by posting poetry on her blog, The Poetic Underground. She began writing and sharing her work from a young age, over ten years ago. A great strength of Hanson’s poetry is the simple, yet beautiful language that she uses. She appeals to a younger audience who often tend to be put off by poetry that is complex, dry, or difficult to interpret. Her intention to create calming,
grounded, relatable art shines through when you view her blog. Hanson’s poems are posted in many forms that are pleasing to the eye. Each piece is presented with a unique combination of font, background color, texture, doodles, and the occasional dried leaf or flower. She has also published multiple books of her poetry over the years. The poem “Storm Clouds” can be found in her 2016 book, Dreamscape - The Poetic Underground #3.
The Poem
“Storm Clouds” is a short poem on the topic of self-acceptance. Part of the beauty of this poem is how short it is. At only eight lines, it's a quick read; not something that would be overwhelming to approach. Hanson sets a calming tone for the piece using imagery of mountains, rivers, and rain. The poem also has a simple rhyme scheme that is pleasant to read and flows nicely.
The main idea of "Storm Clouds” is that no one’s value should be based upon their mood or the state of their mental health; an important reminder for anyone who is feeling weighed down in life right now. We are all entering into year three of a pandemic, the economy is bad, the political climate is scary, and we have the normal stresses of life to deal with on top of all that! It all takes a toll. It would be unrealistic to expect ourselves not to feel the effects, and yet it’s so easy to get into the mindset that you need to put on a happy face if you want to be around other people, even family and friends.
I think a lot of us are nervous that expressing our fears and our negative emotions will make us a burden to others. It’s tricky because we all really do need more positivity in our lives, and distractions from our worries. It can be scary to be the person who brings up a serious or heavy topic, or even just to be open about the fact that you’re not feeling too happy at the moment. However, it’s important to allow yourself to feel what you’re feeling. Having a hard day, week, month, or year, doesn’t make you a “negative person,” and it certainly doesn’t detract from your value or the love that you deserve.
Take a moment to check in with yourself and show yourself some compassion today. As Hanson puts it in the poem, “How awful to think to be loved/ You mustn’t show the world your rain.” You are allowed to have storm clouds sometimes, and shouldn’t have to hide your emotions and experiences from the world.
Charlotte Martin is a junior at New Mexico State University, hailing from Aztec, NM. She is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Psychology with minors in English and Spanish. She enjoys music, literature, and art, and is passionate about mental health and sexual assault advocacy.
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