Rain! Precious Rain

Today, 24 August 2011,
something simply wonderful
happened. Rain, precious
rain fell, treating our parched,
half-dead yards to a much-needed
drink after more than a month
of bone-dry days on end.
Rain! Drought-breaking rain.
Bring on the rain.

A record-setting number
of days with record-setting
high temperatures have made
this summer the hottest
and driest summer ever
in Shreveport. Ever!
We have out-deserted
the southwestern desert
with our tree-killing,
flower-shriveling,
grass-browning,
ground-cracking heat
and drought. So dry!

When it comes regularly,
one hardly notices the rain,
sometimes even considers
it a nuisance. But, when rain
refuses to fall, you pray for it;
you thirst for it; you realize
how wonderfully life-giving
rain truly is. You long for
some glorious rain!

When the rain started falling
today, I was so joyous
I wanted my wife and me
to strip naked and dance
merrily around in the rain-wet
backyard. Sadly, she refused.
It would have been a worthy
celebration at the return
of a long-absent, old friend --
a cooling, refreshing thunderstorm
on a hot summer’s day.