Today I woke up to the rhythmic
Plop, plop of the falling rain
Sensing in the background one of nature’s
many grandiose songs to mark the event
The charges in the air
Competing with the excitement
of every plant and tree
To welcome this gift of life.
The smell of rich fertile soil is in the air
Inebriating us with its promise
Of beauty and nourishment
Gardens full of shinning silhouettes
Adding to the magic of the landscape
By complementing the unique purity of the light
Sunshine through the filter of clouds.
If I was in Uruguay
The smell of ‘tortafritas’ would be enticing me
From every other home
A chance for families to engage in teamwork.
I was the lonely little girl
Sitting in the front step
Under the precarious protection
Of the neighbor’s balcony.
Speechless at the unexpected beauty
Of the heavenly luminescence
Blending with the humble dry of the public floor tiles
To lend the shine of silver to the moment.
The trees embellished with the unexpected
Diamond necklaces of lazy rainbows
While people add to the scene
Some running for cover, some savoring its gifts.
The unexpected downpour
In the middle of a day at the beach
Often with the Sun still shining on
I will stay in the sea, licking the sweet raindrops off my face.
One such day I asked my sea friends what the rain fell like to them
And they challenged me to immerse and find out
It was fun to unique to verbalize
There is something about water that brings out the playful side of us…
One afternoon I took my bicycle
And went looking for the sunset
And found instead a downpour so severe
It took about four drops to soak my clothes.
And ‘Senora Lluvia’ mocking my wasted efforts
To find the cover of a tree or balcony
When in the Summer heat
I would dry up and a few minutes anyway.
I stopped trying to run away
And let the rain just wash over me
Admiring the beach’s reaction
To this contribution
The clear sand covered
By geometrical bas-relief sculptures
gleaming in the afternoon Light.
Her farewell and good wishes
For my impending relocation to South Africa
All those years ago.
‘Senora Lluvia’ of my childhood
Drying my tears with her wisdom
Sharing so many special moments
Partner of epic, fantastic adventures.
Promised me she would be nearby
But at the time I could not
Allowed myself the comfort
Of believing her.
It would be many years later
While pushing a bicycle
Cross country up a steep hill
In Goodman’s Terrace.
The pouring rain mixing
With tears of exhaustion running down my face
She was there
Mocking my frustration once again.
Such fuss over getting wet
It’s Summer you will dry up fast.
My tears turned to smile
My weariness disappear.
It made me realize
With a good friend besides me
No mountain is too high.
While we are walking into Germiston
A brave man approached us
With his precious spear
Legacy of his father.
Just a neighbor concerned
For my safety in the company
Of the infamous Mechuda
Here is hoping your reputation has improved.
Back in my teens our arguments
Centered around the drastic effect
You had in my unruly hair
And in that of some reluctant volunteers.
Nowadays the issue is more serious
PH balance, Is the rain
Really acid these days…
Even though just to bother you
I still have to make do without
The right rain equipment
After all these years.
I am only sorry you are not around more.
Have I told you lately that I miss you?...
