Life is a Storm by Nello Jennings
In this episode of Blank Page, I share a raw and honest conversation with Nello, whose powerful poem, Life is a Storm (available below and on the podcast), captures the resilience required to weather life’s fiercest challenges. Nello opens up about his personal experiences with violence and its deep impact on families, offering wisdom and hope for those navigating their own storms. His story is a profound reminder of why the work of the Columbus Violence Reduction Fund is so crucial in creating safer, stronger communities. Listen in as Nello’s journey inspires us to face life’s struggles with courage and find hope in the midst of pain.
Life’s a Storm
By Nello Jennings
Life—
Life’s a storm.
One minute, calm.
Then boom!—the next,
You’re being knocked off course,
Just trying to stay afloat.
I’ve been there.
More funerals,
Than weddings.
Life doesn’t just bruise you—
It tattoos you.
The pain,
Leaves a mark.
Like fresh ink—
On dry skin.
I carry that pain with me—
My Uncle Dex,
My Friends Terrence and Devonte.
Their absences—
Are felt present,
Every day.
That pain—
Doesn’t just disappear—
Or fade away.
So, what do you do?
Do you let it weaken you—
Or do you let it strengthen you?
Cus once—
You’ve weathered one storm.
You start learning,
How to face the next storm.
That pain,
It shapes you.
It can make you stronger,
Strong enough to stand tall.
And the truth—
The truth is,
Pain teaches:
Pain teaches us,
That storms,
Don’t last forever.
The Rain,
Will start to clear.
The Winds,
Begin to settle.
And eventually,
The Sun breaks through.
Then—
Then you’re faced with a choice:
Do you stay stuck,
In the wreckage of your past?
Or do you grab the wheel of your destiny,
And steer towards a better future?
A future of change.
And change?
It’s tough.
It’s like a butterfly—
A butterfly doesn’t wake up and fly.
It starts in a cocoon—
A place that’s uncomfortable,
But necessary.
That struggle,
Is part of the process.
And in the process of growth,
You must shed the old you.
And like the cocoon,
Community is there,
To hold us when times get hard.
It’s the support we need to break free,
In order to become who we’re meant to be.
You want to fly?
You’ve got to shed the skin of your past
Lean on community.
Change doesn’t have to start big.
Sometimes, it’s just small steps—
It might not seem like much—
Like a bus pass—
But that bus pass?
It’s a ticket—
A ticket to opportunity.
A step forward.
And the more steps you take,
The more—
You’ll feel your wings,
Begin to unfold.
We’re not meant to,
Only survive—
We are meant to soar.
We are meant to be restored,
We’re meant to rebuild,
We are meant to rise from the ashes,
We are meant to spread our wings into a new existence—
An existence of—
Possibility and purpose.
Let’s defy the odds,
Of who we once thought we were,
And flourish in the belief of—
Who we can become.
Because the storm—
the storm has passed.
The skies are open.
And it’s time to,
Now—
Spread your wings,
To fly.