You have remembered the earth, and the rains that desire it
(B’reishit Rabba 20.7, based on Psalms 65:10)
Its entrance is flamboyant,
Claiming the sky with a resounding Clap;
A positive charge has surmounted the horizon!
Flora and fauna anticipate turmoil…
The trembling petals, the vanished sparrows.
I seek above the treetops for further signs,
Until the flash-whipped atmosphere drives me inside.
But the sky remains unruffled while its forces convoy upon us.
Still nothing on the ground……till one redoubtable sprinkle strikes unguarded pavement.
Now although unplanned the attack unfolds like a rave.
Drops that were merely waiting for encouragement
Dun everything in their path; their voices join in a clamor.
They discover a pond,
Waters cavort on refracting waters,
No longer concerned as to whether liquid or gas.
The clouds applaud.
The whole earth hails the gift.
Fevered treetops are swept up in Dionysian response,
Thrusting about their arms in rhythm with the carnival wind.
Finally
The airy masses whisper——enough.
The clouds take a breath while considering where next to head.
The mist disengages from the pond; the wind unembraces the branches.
Thank you for attending, announces the receding thunder.
A space for regeneration opens.
The sun shines through the window where I am watching.
Andy Oram is a writer and editor in the computer field. His editorial projects have ranged from a legal guide covering intellectual property to a graphic novel about teenage hackers. Print publications where his writings have appeared include The Economist, the Journal of Information Technology & Politics, and Vanguardia Dossier.
