Romance in the Rain (And My Battle with Consistency)

Day 4 of 100 Poems.

Day 4 Prompt: A rainy day in the city

Petrichor

Hot steam rises from concrete,
wet sidewalks release an odor of cleanliness,
and a sense of renewal.

The leaves of the tropical trees
rustle hard right before a storm,
it’s how we all know it’s coming.

A big, bad, monsoon.

The city bustles,
                        even in the rain

citizens run for cover to wait it out –
but life continues…

Queues for a hot bowl of soup form
beneath umbrellas and puddles
of plastic ponchos.

Ain’t nothin’ getting’ in the way
of a local and their
bowl of noodles!

Copyright © 2025 by Carla Monroy

I Struggle with Consistency

My biggest struggle in life is juggling my time and being realistic about the number of things I can fit into any given day. Sometimes I think I am faster than I really am, or maybe I have forgotten that I don’t quite have the same energy levels that I did ten years ago.

It has been over a week since I last posted and “normal” me would usually drop off at this point, but I just can’t let that happen. I juggle a full-time job while living overseas, a side hustle, and during my free time I work on continuing, or just starting really, to share my writings openly.  That’s to say that when my “day job” gets busy and my side gig is demanding, I can be left feeling really burned out and that’s when you must dig deep.

I’ve got to get better at managing my time. Blocking out hours to get things done and mercilessly trying to stick to the schedule – because I often resist it. I’m also currently in one of my minimalistic phases. Where I try to limit what I consume on all sorts of levels. I try to limit and be thoughtful about what I put into my body, what I watch, read, look at/restrict on social. It’s an effort to be still.

During this time, I try to meditate more, fast, I focus on exercise, and have deep conversations with myself. I try to connect with my consciousness. There is something that feels so good about conquering the resistance you are met with at the start.

Now Let’s Talk About Prompt Number Four

For this one, I consulted artificial intelligence who I asked to create a list of 100 poetry prompts. This poem came to me with a lot more ease, and it’s probably because the topic was to write about the city in the rain and that reflects my current environment.

It is rainy season where I am, and I am also someone that enjoys a good storm. I love the coziness and the romance, as well as the permission to embrace being a hermit. Not to mention that the scent of wet rainy concrete is one of my favorite smells in the world. It competes with the smell of books in a library.

I kept it short, and I feel like I could write more or even another version of this one. I can think of ways to expand on the characteristics of a rainy day in the city. How do you describe your favorite rainy day? And how do you fight consistency struggles?

I’d love to hear your rainy-day memories. Subscribe if you’re new—I’m writing 100 poems and could use your company!