In a backyard rainstorm…
Spanish moss trembling in a downpour,
on the bird feeder’s plastic face
tiny wet footprints
desperate squirrels.
A bamboo wind chime on porch eaves clucks
and chuckles,
laughter celebrating long-awaited rain,
wetness turning grass brighter,
the crispy green of celery.
A scene blurred by rain,
filled with the mix of birdsong and far thunder,
while a spear of light from somewhere outside
illuminates a spot on concrete underfoot.
Rumbles of thunder, whistling birds
each part of a larger sound
inside this umbrella of rain
where drops strike every surface in separate percussion…
tin roof, leaves, picnic table
concrete and grass
and trees tilt their faces to the sky.
